Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 139

Devanagari script

कलिकालप्रभावेन येषां पाठो न विद्यते । गृहस्थधर्माचरणं कर्तव्यं मम पूजनम्

Transliteration

kalikālaprabhāvena yeṣāṃ pāṭho na vidyate | gṛhasthadharmācaraṇaṃ kartavyaṃ mama pūjanam

Translation

Unter dem Einfluss des Kali-Zeitalters sollen jene, denen das Rezitieren der Schriften nicht möglich ist, die Dharma-Pflichten des Hausvaters erfüllen und mich verehren.

Word by Word

• कलिकालप्रभावेन: by the influence of the Kali age
• कलिकालप्रभावेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कलिकाल-प्रभाव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (कलिकालस्य प्रभावः) — Masculine, Instrumental (3rd), Singular

• येषाम्: of whom
• येषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/स्त्री/नपुंसक, षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन — Pronoun, Genitive (6th), Plural

• पाठः: recitation/reading
• पाठः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative (1st), Singular

• न: not
• न: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (particle of negation)

• विद्यते: exists/is found
• विद्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: विद् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद — Present indicative, 3rd person, Singular (Ātmanepada)

• गृहस्थधर्माचरणम्: practice of the householder’s dharma
• गृहस्थधर्माचरणम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृहस्थ-धर्म-आचरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः बहु-तत्पुरुषः (गृहस्थानां धर्मस्य आचरणम्) — Neuter, Nom./Acc., Singular

• कर्तव्यम्: to be done/obligatory
• कर्तव्यम्: Vidheyavisheshana (Predicate adjective/विधेय-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु) + तव्यत् (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (कर्तव्य), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — Gerundive/obligatory, Neuter, Nom./Acc., Singular

• मम: my
• मम: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन — Pronoun, Genitive (6th), Singular

• पूजनम्: worship
• पूजनम्: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-सम्बन्धी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूजन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — Neuter, Nom./Acc., Singular

Speaker

Śiva

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Dadhīci

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva instructs that those unable to recite scriptures should follow householder dharma and worship him; imagery shows a modest home shrine with liṅga, lamp, water-pot, and a family performing simple pūjā.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Kali Yuga
• Gṛhastha-dharma
• Pūjā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When higher study is difficult, dharma is upheld through righteous household life and sincere worship.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vastrāpatha-kṣetra in Prabhāsa is the narrative setting, presenting accessible dharma aligned with the tīrtha’s sanctity.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Śiva-pūjā is prescribed together with gṛhastha-dharma practice.