Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 38

Devanagari script

भ्रमंति च कलौ लोका गगनासक्तदृष्टयः । जानाति चापि तनयः पिता चेन्निधनं व्रजेत्

Transliteration

bhramaṃti ca kalau lokā gaganāsaktadṛṣṭayaḥ | jānāti cāpi tanayaḥ pitā cennidhanaṃ vrajet

Translation

Im Kali-Zeitalter irren die Menschen umher, den Blick an den Himmel geheftet (stets zerstreut und unruhig). Selbst ein Sohn nimmt es im Herzen vorweg, wenn sein Vater dem Tod entgegengehen sollte.

Word by Word

• भ्रमन्ति: they wander/err
• भ्रमन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भ्रम् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (Plural)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction/particle)

• कलौ: in the Kali age
• कलौ: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कलि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• लोकाः: people
• लोकाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• गगनासक्तदृष्टयः: with eyes fixed on the sky
• गगनासक्तदृष्टयः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गगन (प्रातिपदिक) + आसक्त (कृदन्त, √सञ्ज्/सज्) + दृष्टि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural); समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (गगने आसक्ताः दृष्टयः)

• जानाति: knows
• जानाति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction/particle)

• अपि: also/even
• अपि: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्भावन/अपि-कार (particle: also/even)

• तनयः: the son
• तनयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तनय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• पिता: the father
• पिता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• चेत्: if
• चेत्: Sambandha (Condition/शर्त)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: चेत् (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्त-निपात (conditional particle: if)

• निधनम्: death/destruction
• निधनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निधन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• व्रजेत्: should go/meet (i.e., die)
• व्रजेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: व्रज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya narrative style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: People wandering aimlessly, faces tilted to the sky as if seeking omens; a son watches an aging father with calculating eyes; a temple spire anchors the horizon.

Characters & Entities

• Kali Yuga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kali corrupts attention and family duty; dharma calls for steadiness of mind and reverence toward parents.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is mentioned in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None is specified.