Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 44

Devanagari script

पादेनैकेन तत्सर्वं विभागे प्रथमे कलौ । ऊर्ध्वं विनाशः सर्वस्य भविष्यति न संशयः

Transliteration

pādenaikena tatsarvaṃ vibhāge prathame kalau | ūrdhvaṃ vināśaḥ sarvasya bhaviṣyati na saṃśayaḥ

Translation

Dans la première division de Kali, tout cela ne subsiste plus que par un seul pied. Ensuite viendra la destruction de toutes choses — sans aucun doute.

Word by Word

• पादेन: by a quarter/with one part (lit. by a foot/quarter)
• पादेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण/Instrumental), एकवचन

• एकेन: by one
• एकेन: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (पादेन)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (सर्वम्)

• सर्वम्: everything
• सर्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• विभागे: in the division/portion
• विभागे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विभाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (अधिकरण/Locative), एकवचन

• प्रथमे: in the first
• प्रथमे: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रथम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; विशेषण (विभागे)

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

• ऊर्ध्वम्: thereafter/above; henceforth
• ऊर्ध्वम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ऊर्ध्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• विनाशः: destruction
• विनाशः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विनाश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• सर्वस्य: of all/of everything
• सर्वस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध/Genitive), एकवचन

• भविष्यति: will occur/will be
• भविष्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• न: not/no
• न: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (particle of negation)

• संशयः: doubt
• संशयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संशय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

Bṛhaspati (implied, within Prahlāda’s narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā (implied) / Prabhāsa-kṣetra (broader khanda frame)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Indra/Vāsava

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A stark image of Kali’s first phase: a dharma bull on one leg; behind it, fading manuscripts and dimming sacrificial fires; Bṛhaspati’s warning gesture; Indra troubled yet attentive.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It warns that in Kali Yuga only a fraction of dharma remains, urging seekers toward protective spiritual refuges and disciplined practice.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not specified in this verse; it functions as a lead-in to identifying a Kali-avoided sacred place.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit prescription; it presents a yuga-based prognosis that motivates reliance on tīrtha and dharma.