Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 193

Devanagari script

मथुरायां तदा कर्त्ता कंसो राज्यं महासुरः । शिशुपालजरासंधौ कालनेमिर्महासुरः

Transliteration

mathurāyāṃ tadā karttā kaṃso rājyaṃ mahāsuraḥ | śiśupālajarāsaṃdhau kālanemirmahāsuraḥ

Translation

À Mathurā, à cette époque, le puissant démon Kaṃsa régnait sur le royaume ; et parmi Śiśupāla et Jarāsandha, le grand démon Kālanemi se tenait également en évidence.

Word by Word

• मथुरायाम्: in Mathurā
• मथुरायाम्: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मथुरा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• कर्त्ता: ruler/doer
• कर्त्ता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्तृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• कंसः: Kaṃsa
• कंसः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कंस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• राज्यम्: the kingdom
• राज्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राज्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• महासुरः: the great demon
• महासुरः: Apposition (Samānādhikaraṇa/समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मह + असुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्मधारय (महान् असुरः)

• शिशुपालजरासन्धौ: Śiśupāla and Jarāsandha
• शिशुपालजरासन्धौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिशुपाल + जरासन्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), द्विवचन; द्वन्द्वसमास (शिशुपालः + जरासन्धः)

• कालनेमिः: Kālanemi
• कालनेमिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कालनेमि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• महासुरः: a great demon
• महासुरः: Apposition (Samānādhikaraṇa/समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मह + असुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्मधारय (महान् असुरः)

Speaker

Unspecified (contextual narrator within Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa Māhātmya dialogue)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mathurā (contextual kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: a sage (muni)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A prophetic tableau naming Kaṃsa enthroned in Mathurā; shadowed figures of Śiśupāla and Jarāsandha; Kālanemi looming as an asuric archetype behind them.

Characters & Entities

• Mathurā
• Kaṃsa
• Śiśupāla
• Jarāsandha
• Kālanemi

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It recalls an age when adharma-powered rulers dominated, setting the stage for dharma to be restored through divine order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse is narrative context within the Vastrāpatha-kṣetra Māhātmya; the direct glorification is of Vastrāpatha in Prabhāsa, while Mathurā is referenced historically.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it functions as contextual history naming figures of adharma.