Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 7

Devanagari script

उपसर्गभयं तावद्दुःखं च भूतसंभवम् । भक्त्या न पश्यति नरो यावत्कृष्णप्रियां कलौ

Transliteration

upasargabhayaṃ tāvadduḥkhaṃ ca bhūtasaṃbhavam | bhaktyā na paśyati naro yāvatkṛṣṇapriyāṃ kalau

Translation

Tant que, dans l’âge de Kali, l’homme ne contemple pas avec dévotion la Bien-aimée de Kṛṣṇa (Rukmiṇī), il demeure en proie à la crainte des calamités et aux souffrances nées d’esprits hostiles et de forces invisibles.

Word by Word

• उपसर्ग-भयम्: fear of afflictions
• उपसर्ग-भयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपसर्ग (प्रातिपदिक) + भय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अत्र द्वितीया (कर्म) ‘(he does not see) fear of calamities’

• तावत्: so long
• तावत्: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तावत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधि-वाचक-अव्यय (so long)

• दुःखम्: sorrow
• दुःखम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुःख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• भूत-सम्भवम्: arising from spirits/beings
• भूत-सम्भवम्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भूत (प्रातिपदिक) + सम्भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् ‘दुःखम्’ इति; ‘arising from beings/spirits’

• भक्त्या: by devotion
• भक्त्या: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

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

• पश्यति: sees/experiences
• पश्यति: Kriya (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• यावत्: until/as long as
• यावत्: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यावत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधि-वाचक-अव्यय (until/as long as)

• कृष्ण-प्रियाम्: Kṛṣṇa’s beloved (Rukmiṇī)
• कृष्ण-प्रियाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्ण (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रिया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• कलौ: in the Kali age
• कलौ: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कलि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta (deduced: Prabhāsa-khaṇḍa narration style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Rukmiṇī-sannidhi, Dvārakā

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Nightfall near the shrine; shadowy forms representing upasargas and bhūtas linger at the edges, while the devotee stands in the lamp-lit threshold of Rukmiṇī’s sanctum; the shadows retreat.

Characters & Entities

• Kṛṣṇa
• Rukmiṇī
• Kali-yuga
• Bhūta (spirits)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion to the divine couple is portrayed as a shield against both worldly troubles and subtle, unseen afflictions.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā, the sacred city celebrated in this māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No detailed rite is stated; the verse stresses bhakti-centered approach and darśana (devotional beholding).