Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 36

Devanagari script

प्राप्ते कलियुगे घोरे क्व विष्णुः पृथिवीतले । यं दृष्ट्वा परमां मुक्तिं यास्यामो मुक्तबन्धनाः

Transliteration

prāpte kaliyuge ghore kva viṣṇuḥ pṛthivītale | yaṃ dṛṣṭvā paramāṃ muktiṃ yāsyāmo muktabandhanāḥ

Translation

Nun, da das schreckliche Kali-Yuga eingetreten ist: Wo weilt Viṣṇu auf Erden? Ihn zu schauen—so mögen wir die höchste Befreiung erlangen, von allen Fesseln gelöst.

Word by Word

• प्राप्ते: when (it) has come
• प्राप्ते: Adhikarana (Locative absolute)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-आप् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय, Past Passive Participle), सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular); सति-सप्तमी (locative absolute)

• कलि-युगे: in the Kali age
• कलि-युगे: Adhikarana (Time)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कलि (प्रातिपदिक) + युग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular); तत्पुरुष: कलियुगः

• घोरे: terrible
• घोरे: Adhikarana (Qualifier in locative)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: घोर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण (qualifying कलियुगे)

• क्व: where?
• क्व: Adhikarana (Interrogative location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्व (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (interrogative adverb)

• विष्णुः: Viṣṇu
• विष्णुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• पृथिवी-तले: on the earth’s surface
• पृथिवी-तले: Adhikarana (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पृथिवी (प्रातिपदिक) + तल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular); तत्पुरुष: पृथिव्याः तलम्

• यम्: whom
• यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); सम्बन्धसूचक (relative pronoun)

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्यय (Absolutive/Gerund), अव्ययभाव (indeclinable verbal)

• परमाम्: supreme
• परमाम्: Karma (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण (qualifying मुक्तिम्)

• मुक्तिम्: liberation
• मुक्तिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• यास्यामः: we shall go/attain
• यास्यामः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), उत्तम-पुरुष (1st person), बहुवचन (Plural)

• मुक्त-बन्धनाः: free from bonds
• मुक्त-बन्धनाः: Karta (Predicate adjective of subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मुक्त (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक) + बन्धन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural); बहुव्रीहि: मुक्तानि बन्धनानि येषाम्

Speaker

Ṛṣayaḥ (the sages)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis/śaunaka-group (frame; not explicit here)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A circle of anxious sages on a desolate earth at the onset of Kali-yuga, hands raised in inquiry: ‘Where is Viṣṇu to be seen for mokṣa?’ The sky feels heavy; a distant ocean-horizon hints at Dvārakā.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Kali-yuga
• Pṛthivī (earth)
• Mukti

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In Kali-yuga, seekers long for direct divine refuge; darśana of Viṣṇu is presented as a path to supreme liberation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The question anticipates the Dvārakā-centered answer of the māhātmya: Viṣṇu’s accessible presence and sanctity connected to Dvārakā on earth.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is stated; the implied practice is seeking Viṣṇu’s darśana (often pursued through tīrtha-yātrā, worship, and devotion).