Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

ततः कलियुगं घोरं चतुर्थं तु प्रव र्त्तते । एकपादो भवेद्धर्मः संत्रस्तो नित्यपूजने

Transliteration

tataḥ kaliyugaṃ ghoraṃ caturthaṃ tu prava rttate | ekapādo bhaveddharmaḥ saṃtrasto nityapūjane

Translation

तदनंतर चौथा, भयानक कलियुग आरंभ होता है; धर्म एक पाँव पर रह जाता है और लोग नित्य-पूजा में भी व्याकुल रहते हैं।

Word by Word

• ततः: then
• ततः: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रमवाचक (adverb: ‘then/thereafter’)

• कलियुगम्: the Kali age
• कलियुगम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कलि (प्रातिपदिक) + युग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Nominative singular (Kali age)

• घोरम्: terrible
• घोरम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: घोर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Nominative singular agreeing with कलियुगम् (terrible)

• चतुर्थम्: fourth
• चतुर्थम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Nominative singular agreeing with कलियुगम् (fourth)

• तु: indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle: ‘indeed/but’)

• प्रवर्तते: comes to pass
• प्रवर्तते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र+वृत् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; Present 3rd sg (proceeds/comes into operation)

• एकपादः: one-footed (only one part remaining)
• एकपादः: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (संख्या) + पाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Nominative singular agreeing with धर्मः; ‘one-footed (having one part)’

• भवेत्: would be
• भवेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; Optative 3rd sg (would be)

• धर्मः: dharma
• धर्मः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Nominative singular

• संत्रस्तः: distressed
• संत्रस्तः: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्+त्रस् (धातु) → संत्रस्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘frightened/distressed’ (agreeing with धर्मः)

• नित्यपूजने: in daily worship
• नित्यपूजने: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नित्य (प्रातिपदिक) + पूजन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Locative singular (in daily worship)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; exact speaker not stated in snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A symbolic dharma-bull with only one leg standing; in the background, household shrines neglected, lamps flickering, devotees anxious, and a darkening sky marking Kali’s onset.

Characters & Entities

• Kali-yuga
• Dharma
• Nitya-pūjā (daily worship)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kali-yuga challenges dharma and regular worship, so steadiness in daily devotion becomes vital.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is directly praised in this line; it sets the moral atmosphere of Kali-yuga within the Arbuda-khaṇḍa discourse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Nitya-pūjā (daily worship) is referenced as a practice that becomes difficult and thus especially important.