Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

ईश्वर उवाच । षट्त्रिंशे च कलौ वर्षे संप्राप्तेऽन्धकवृष्णयः । अन्योन्यं मुशलैस्ते हि निजघ्नुः कालनोदिताः

Transliteration

īśvara uvāca | ṣaṭtriṃśe ca kalau varṣe saṃprāpte'ndhakavṛṣṇayaḥ | anyonyaṃ muśalaiste hi nijaghnuḥ kālanoditāḥ

Translation

Īśvara sprach: Als das sechsunddreißigste Jahr des Kali herangekommen war, erschlugen die Andhakas und die Vṛṣṇis—vom Zeitlauf (Kāla) angetrieben—einander mit Keulen.

Word by Word

• ईश्वरः: Īśvara
• ईश्वरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• षट्त्रिंशे: in the thirty-sixth
• षट्त्रिंशे: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: षट् + त्रिंशत् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्यावाचक; सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन; समासः—षट् + त्रिंशत् (द्विगु)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय-बोधक (conjunction)

• कलौ: in the Kali (age)
• कलौ: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कलि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

• वर्षे: in the year
• वर्षे: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

• सम्प्राप्ते: when (it) had arrived
• सम्प्राप्ते: Adhikarana (Locative absolute/सति-सप्तमी)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + प्र + आप् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; सति-सप्तमी (locative absolute)

• अन्धकवृष्णयः: the Andhakas and the Vṛṣṇis
• अन्धकवृष्णयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्धक + वृष्णि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः—अन्धकाः च वृष्णयः च (इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व)

• अन्योन्यम्: one another
• अन्योन्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्योन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; परस्परार्थे (reciprocal sense)

• मुशलैः: with clubs; pestles
• मुशलैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुशल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), बहुवचन

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• हि: indeed; for
• हि: Emphasis/Reason (Nipata/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; हेत्वर्थक/निश्चयार्थक निपात (particle)

• निजघ्नुः: they struck down; killed
• निजघ्नुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि + हन् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन

• कालनोदिताः: impelled by Time (fate)
• कालनोदिताः: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: काल + नोदित (प्रातिपदिक; √नुद्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; समासः—कालेन नोदिताः (तृतीया-तत्पुरुष); नोदित = क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle) from नुद् ‘to impel’

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Īśvara narrates: in the 36th year of Kali, the Andhakas and Vṛṣṇis, driven by Time, kill one another with clubs—an austere, fated battlefield without external enemy.

Characters & Entities

• Kali (age)
• Andhakas
• Vṛṣṇis
• Kāla (Time)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When kāla ripens karma, even kin turn against kin; the verse warns against pride and heedlessness as Time completes its decree.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The narrative belongs to Prabhāsakṣetra’s sacred history, associated with Yādavasthala in the Prabhāsa region.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is historical-cosmological narration marking the Kali timeline.