Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 35

Devanagari script

गते कलौ प्रयास्यंति निजस्थानमसंशयम्

Transliteration

gate kalau prayāsyaṃti nijasthānamasaṃśayam

Translation

Quand Kali sera passé, ils retourneront à leurs propres demeures, sans aucun doute.

Word by Word

• गते: when (it has) passed
• गते: Adhikarana (Locative absolute/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गम् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; सति-सप्तमी (locative absolute)

• कलौ: in Kali (age)
• कलौ: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कलि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; सति-सप्तमी-आश्रय (locative absolute)

• प्रयास्यन्ति: they will go forth/return
• प्रयास्यन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-या (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future/लृट्), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन

• निजस्थानम्: to their own place
• निजस्थानम्: Karma (Object/Goal/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निज (प्रातिपदिक) + स्थान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय: ‘निजं स्थानम्’; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; कर्म (destination as object of motion)

• असंशयम्: without doubt
• असंशयम्: Sambandha (Modal/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: असंशयम् (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक-अव्यय (adverb ‘without doubt’)

Speaker

Pitāmaha (Brahmā) (deduced from surrounding verses)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: All tīrtha-s (collective)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣi-s/assembly (implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: After Kali’s passing, tīrtha-devatā-s return to their original rivers, lakes, and shrines; landscapes brighten, pilgrims reappear, lamps and festivals resume.

Characters & Entities

• Kali-yuga
• Tīrthas (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred order is cyclical: dharma’s supports may withdraw during decline and reappear when conditions become pure again.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Puṣkara remains the narrative center; the verse speaks generally of tīrthas returning after Kali.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual instruction appears; it is a doctrinal statement about time-cycles and sacred geography.