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Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 1

श्रीप्रह्लाद उवाच । कृष्णकृष्णेति कृष्णेति श्वपचो जागरन्निशि । जपेदपि कलौ नित्यं कृष्णरूपी भवेद्धि सः

śrīprahlāda uvāca | kṛṣṇakṛṣṇeti kṛṣṇeti śvapaco jāgaranniśi | japedapi kalau nityaṃ kṛṣṇarūpī bhaveddhi saḥ

Śrī Prahlāda dit : Même un caṇḍāla, veillant la nuit, s’il répète sans cesse en l’âge de Kali—« Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa »—devient vraiment de forme kṛṣṇique, obtenant la ressemblance au Seigneur par le japa continuel.

श्रीप्रह्लादःŚrī Prahlāda
श्रीप्रह्लादः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootश्रीप्रह्लाद (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (उक्तिवाचक-नाम)
उवाचsaid
उवाच:
Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootवच् (धातु)
Formलिट् (परोक्षभूत/परफेक्ट), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद
कृष्णKṛṣṇa
कृष्ण:
Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
TypeNoun
Rootकृष्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-प्रयोग (vocative sense) / नाम-उच्चारण (indeclinable-like in mantra-usage)
कृष्णKṛṣṇa
कृष्ण:
Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
TypeNoun
Rootकृष्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-प्रयोग (vocative sense)
इतिthus
इति:
None
TypeIndeclinable
Rootइति (अव्यय)
Formउद्धरण/इत्यर्थक अव्यय (quotative particle)
कृष्णKṛṣṇa
कृष्ण:
Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
TypeNoun
Rootकृष्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-प्रयोग (vocative sense)
इतिthus
इति:
None
TypeIndeclinable
Rootइति (अव्यय)
Formउद्धरण/इत्यर्थक अव्यय (quotative particle)
श्वपचःa dog-cooker (outcaste)
श्वपचः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootश्वपच (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन
जागरन्staying awake
जागरन्:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeVerb
Rootजागृ (धातु) → जागरन् (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
Formवर्तमानकाले शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन
निशिat night
निशि:
Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootनिशा (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन
जपेत्should chant
जपेत्:
Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootजप् (धातु)
Formविधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद
अपिeven
अपि:
None
TypeIndeclinable
Rootअपि (अव्यय)
Formसम्भावना/अपवाद-बोधक अव्यय (even/also)
कलौin Kali (age)
कलौ:
Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootकलि (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (कलियुगः)
नित्यम्always
नित्यम्:
None
TypeIndeclinable
Rootनित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
Formक्रियाविशेषणरूपेण नपुंसकलिङ्ग एकवचन (adverbial accusative)
कृष्णरूपीhaving the form of Kṛṣṇa
कृष्णरूपी:
Karta (Subject complement/कर्तृ-विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootकृष्ण + रूपिन् (प्रातिपदिकानि)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (कृष्णस्य रूपं यस्य)
भवेत्would become
भवेत्:
Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootभू (धातु)
Formविधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद
हिindeed
हि:
None
TypeIndeclinable
Rootहि (अव्यय)
Formनिश्चय/हेतु-बोधक अव्यय (indeed/for)
सःhe
सः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (pronoun)

Śrī Prahlāda

Scene: Prahlāda teaches: a marginalized devotee sits awake at night, counting japa on fingers or mālā, chanting ‘Kṛṣṇa’; the chanter’s form gradually becomes radiant, reflecting Kṛṣṇa’s attributes (peacock feather, aura) as symbolic ‘Kṛṣṇa-rūpī’.

K
Kṛṣṇa
K
Kali-yuga
P
Prahlāda

FAQs

In Kali-yuga, constant nāma-japa of “Kṛṣṇa” is a supreme dharma that purifies and transforms the devotee, making him attain likeness to the Lord regardless of social origin.

The verse occurs within the Dvārakā Māhātmya section of the Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa, situating the teaching within the sacred geography and devotional ethos of Dvārakā.

It prescribes nitya japa—daily, continual repetition of the divine name “Kṛṣṇa,” even through night-vigil (jāgaraṇa), as an effective Kali-yuga practice.