Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 94

Devanagari script

तस्मात्सर्व प्रयत्नेन तत्क्षेत्रं सेव्यमेव हि । विशेषेण कलौ प्राप्ते युगे पापसमावृते

Transliteration

tasmātsarva prayatnena tatkṣetraṃ sevyameva hi | viśeṣeṇa kalau prāpte yuge pāpasamāvṛte

Translation

C’est pourquoi, avec tous nos efforts, ce lieu sacré doit être fréquenté et servi—surtout maintenant que l’âge de Kali est advenu, époque enveloppée de péché.

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: therefore; from that
• तस्मात्: Hetu/Apadana (Cause/Source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग-प्रयोगः, पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), एकवचन; अव्ययीभावेन हेतौ/तस्मात् = ‘therefore/from that’

• सर्व: all, entire
• सर्व: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम-विशेषण, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; ‘all/entire’ (प्रयत्नेन इत्यस्य विशेषणार्थे)

• प्रयत्नेन: with effort
• प्रयत्नेन: Karana (Instrument/Means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रयत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन

• तत्-क्षेत्रम्: that sacred field/place
• तत्-क्षेत्रम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (तस्य क्षेत्रम्)

• सेव्यम्: to be served/attended
• सेव्यम्: Vidheya (Predicative)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सेव् (धातु) → सेव्यम् (कृदन्त, यत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृदन्त (यत्-प्रत्ययान्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषणम् (कर्तव्यता/योग्यता: ‘to be served’)

• एव: indeed, certainly
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, निश्चयार्थक-निपात (emphatic particle)

• हि: for, indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, हेत्वर्थक/निश्चयार्थक-निपात (for/indeed)

• विशेषेण: especially
• विशेषेण: Karana (Manner/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विशेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणवत् (especially)

• कलौ: in Kali (age)
• कलौ: Adhikarana (Locus/Time)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कलि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• प्राप्ते: having arrived; when (it) has come
• प्राप्ते: Adhikarana (Temporal qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र-आप् (धातु) → प्राप्त (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि), पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; ‘when (it) has come/arrived’ (कलौ/युगे इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)

• युगे: in the age
• युगे: Adhikarana (Time)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• पाप-समावृते: covered with sin
• पाप-समावृते: Adhikarana (Qualifier of time)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक) + समावृत (कृदन्त, क्त; सम्-आ-वृ)
• Form: कृदन्त-विशेषण, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; तृतीया/षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषार्थः ‘पापेन समावृतम्/पापैः समावृतम्’

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pilgrims approach a sanctified kṣetra at dawn; elders instruct that in Kali-yuga one must strive and serve the holy region; banners, water-vessels, and offerings signal purposeful pilgrimage.

Characters & Entities

• Kali-yuga
• pāpa (sin)
• kṣetra-sevā (service/visitation of holy place)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In Kali-yuga, deliberate kṣetra-sevā and pilgrimage become powerful supports for dharma amid widespread moral decline.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The kṣetra described throughout Adhyāya 26, recommended as especially beneficial to approach in Kali-yuga.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A general prescription: serve and frequent the kṣetra (tatkṣetra-sevā) with full effort, particularly in Kali-yuga.