Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

काषायवस्त्रैश्च जटाभरैश्च पूर्ताग्निहोत्रैः किमु चान्य मन्त्रैः । धर्मार्थकामवरमोक्षकरीं च भद्रामेकां भजस्व कलिकालविनाशिनीं च

Transliteration

kāṣāyavastraiśca jaṭābharaiśca pūrtāgnihotraiḥ kimu cānya mantraiḥ | dharmārthakāmavaramokṣakarīṃ ca bhadrāmekāṃ bhajasva kalikālavināśinīṃ ca

Translation

Wozu braucht es ockerfarbene Gewänder und verfilzte Locken, öffentliche Wohltaten und das Feueropfer (Agnihotra) oder andere Mantras? Verehre einzig jene eine glückverheißende Observanz—die gesegnete Übung, die Dharma, Artha, Kāma und die höchste Mokṣa gewährt und die Übel des Kali-Zeitalters vernichtet.

Word by Word

• kāṣāyavastraiḥ: with ochre garments
• kāṣāyavastraiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāṣāya-vastra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Neuter, Instrumental, Plural; समासः: काषायं वस्त्रम् (कर्मधारय)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• jaṭābharaiḥ: with loads/masses of matted hair
• jaṭābharaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jaṭā-bhara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Masculine, Instrumental, Plural; समासः: जटानां भरः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• pūrta-agnihotraiḥ: with charitable works and agnihotra rites
• pūrta-agnihotraiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pūrta-agnihotra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Neuter, Instrumental, Plural; द्वन्द्वः: पूर्तं च अग्निहोत्रं च

• kimu: what then; much less
• kimu: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kim + u (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्न/अधिक्यसूचक-अव्यय (particle: 'what then/much less')

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• anya: other
• anya: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: anya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Masculine, Instrumental, Plural (agreeing with mantraiḥ)

• mantraiḥ: with mantras
• mantraiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mantra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• dharmārthakāmavaramokṣakarīm: granting dharma, artha, kāma, boons, and mokṣa
• dharmārthakāmavaramokṣakarīm: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dharma-artha-kāma-vara-mokṣa-karī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Feminine, Accusative, Singular; समासः: धर्मार्थकामवरमोक्षान् करोति इति (उपपद-तत्पुरुष/बहुपद-समास)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• bhadrām: Bhadrā (auspicious goddess)
• bhadrām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhadrā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Feminine, Accusative, Singular (proper name/epithet)

• ekām: one, single
• ekām: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: eka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• bhajasva: worship; take refuge in
• bhajasva: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhaj (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार, मध्यम-पुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद — Imperative, 2nd Person, Singular (Ātmanepada)

• kalikālavināśinīm: destroyer of the Kali age
• kalikālavināśinīm: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kali-kāla-vināśinī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Feminine, Accusative, Singular; समासः: कलिकालस्य विनाशिनी (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

Speaker

Narrative voice (contextual exhortation within Dvārakā Māhātmya; specific speaker not explicit in this verse)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Bhadrā ekā (the single auspicious observance—contextually Viṣṇu-jāgaraṇa/vrata)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A contrast tableau: on one side, ascetics with ochre robes and matted locks performing agnihotra and public works; on the other, a single devotee (or group) worshipping Viṣṇu with lamps and song—above them, the four puruṣārthas and mokṣa symbolically radiate, while a dark ‘Kali’ figure dissolves.

Characters & Entities

• Kali-yuga (Kali-kāla)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A single, auspicious devotional observance is exalted as surpassing external marks and many rites, leading up to mokṣa and relief from Kali-yuga’s harms.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No distinct tīrtha is named in this verse; it emphasizes the greatness of the observance within the Dvārakā Māhātmya frame.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

To ‘bhaja’ (embrace/worship) the one ‘bhadrā’ observance that grants the four aims and mokṣa—presented as superior to agnihotra, pūrta, and other mantras.