Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

कलिकालस्य भीतेन द्वितीयं ब्राह्मणोत्तमाः । येन नो नाशमभ्येति म्लेच्छैरपि समाश्रितम्

Transliteration

kalikālasya bhītena dvitīyaṃ brāhmaṇottamāḥ | yena no nāśamabhyeti mlecchairapi samāśritam

Translation

“O best of brāhmaṇas, out of fear of the age of Kali I have set in place a second refuge—so that it may not fall into ruin, even if it should come to be occupied by mlecchas.”

Word by Word

• कलिकालस्य: of the Kali age
• कलिकालस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कलि (प्रातिपदिक) + काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; ‘कलियुगस्य कालः’ (time of Kali)

• भीतेन: out of fear
• भीतेन: Karana (Cause/Instrumental/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भीत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √भी)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसक, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; विशेषण; ‘afraid’

• द्वितीयम्: a second (one)
• द्वितीयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dvitīya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; क्रमवाचक विशेषण (ordinal)

• ब्राह्मणोत्तमाः: O best Brahmins
• ब्राह्मणोत्तमाः: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; संबोधनार्थे प्रयोगः (vocative sense) possible; ‘best of Brahmins’

• येन: by which
• येन: Karana (Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक (relative)

• नः: of us
• नः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th) बहुवचन (enclitic); ‘of us/our’

• नाशम्: destruction
• नाशम्: Gati/Karma (Goal/Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nāśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• अभ्येति: comes upon/approaches
• अभ्येति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि-इ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान/Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; √इ ‘to go/come’ with उपसर्ग अभि-

• म्लेच्छैः: by mlecchas
• म्लेच्छैः: Kartr/Hetu (Agent/Cause in passive sense/कर्ता-हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mleccha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन

• अपि: even/also
• अपि: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय/अवधारण particle)

• समाश्रितम्: resorted to/occupied
• समाश्रितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier of implied ‘tīrtham’/विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-श्रि (धातु)
• Form: कर्मणि क्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘resorted to/occupied’

Speaker

Brahmā (contextual continuation of the discourse)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Puṣkara (and a ‘second’ protective tīrtha/refuge implied)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A concerned patron speaks to brāhmaṇas, gesturing toward a newly prepared sacred site; in the distance, shadowy figures symbolize impending Kali-yuga turmoil, while the tīrtha boundary is being fortified with posts, lamps, and protective rites.

Characters & Entities

• Kali-yuga
• Brāhmaṇas
• Mlecchas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In Kali-yuga, dharma is preserved through divinely sanctioned supports that keep sacred institutions from perishing.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Puṣkara tīrtha is implied as a protective alternative/support against Kali-yuga decline.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is prescribed; the emphasis is on safeguarding sanctity in Kali-yuga.