Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 29

Devanagari script

कलिकाले न चास्माकं किंचिदेवोपतिष्ठति । अशुद्धैर्मानवैर्दत्तं प्रभूतमपि शंकर

Transliteration

kalikāle na cāsmākaṃ kiṃcidevopatiṣṭhati | aśuddhairmānavairdattaṃ prabhūtamapi śaṃkara

Translation

En l’âge de Kali, rien ne nous parvient véritablement lorsque l’offrande vient d’hommes impurs, fût-elle abondante, ô Śaṅkara (Śiva).

Word by Word

• कलिकाले: in the Kali age
• कलिकाले: Adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कलि + काल (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध-निपात (negation particle)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

• अस्माकम्: to us/of us
• अस्माकम्: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• किंचित्: anything
• किंचित्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; अनिश्चित-सर्वनाम (‘anything’)

• एव: indeed/at all
• एव: Avadharana (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारणार्थक-निपात (emphatic particle)

• उपतिष्ठति: accrues/comes to (is available)
• उपतिष्ठति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप+स्था (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• अशुद्धैः: by impure
• अशुद्धैः: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अशुद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifying ‘मानवैः’)

• मानवैः: by humans
• मानवैः: Kartr̥ (Agent in passive/कर्तृ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मानव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• दत्तम्: given (gift)
• दत्तम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दा (धातु) → दत्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• प्रभूतम्: abundant
• प्रभूतम्: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रभूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying ‘दत्तम्’)

• अपि: even/also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अपि-निपात (concessive/also: ‘even/also’)

• शंकर: O Śaṅkara
• शंकर: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शंकर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन; शिवनाम

Speaker

The Devas (collectively) addressing Śiva as Śaṅkara (contextual deduction)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaṅkara

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A stark contrast tableau: humans in Kali-yuga offering heaps of gifts, yet a veil of impurity blocks the offerings from reaching the gods; Śaṅkara is addressed as the compassionate resolver.

Characters & Entities

• Kali-yuga
• Śaṅkara
• Devas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Quantity cannot replace purity; spiritual receptivity depends on sanctified intention and condition.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is thematic (Kali-age condition) rather than site-specific.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It critiques impure dāna, setting up the need for a purifying observance (contextually Śivarātri worship).