Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

कलिर्दुष्टस्तथा प्रोक्तः किं करिष्यति पापकः । चातुर्विद्यान्समाहूय ऊचुस्ते त्रय एव च

Transliteration

kalirduṣṭastathā proktaḥ kiṃ kariṣyati pāpakaḥ | cāturvidyānsamāhūya ūcuste traya eva ca

Translation

“ಕಲಿ ದುಷ್ಟನೆಂದು ಘೋಷಿತ—ಆ ಪಾಪಿ ಏನು ಮಾಡುವನು?” ಎಂದು ಹೇಳಿ, ಆ ಮೂವರು ದಿವ್ಯರು ಚಾತುರ್ವಿದ್ಯರನ್ನು ಕರೆಯಿಸಿ ಅವರಿಗೆ ಹೇಳಿದರು।

Word by Word

• कलिः: Kali (age/personified Kali)
• कलिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कलि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• दुष्टः: wicked
• दुष्टः: Visheshana (Adjectival to कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुष्ट (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक; √दुष् (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifier)

• तथा: thus
• तथा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: 'thus/so')

• प्रोक्तः: said/declared
• प्रोक्तः: Visheshana (to कलिः)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रोक्त (कृदन्त; √वच् (धातु) + क्त, उपसर्ग: प्र-)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle)

• किम्: what
• किम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक (interrogative)

• करिष्यति: will do
• करिष्यति: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• पापकः: the sinner/evil one
• पापकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पापक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्तृवाचक (agent noun)

• चातुर्विद्यान्: the four-vidyā people / those of four disciplines
• चातुर्विद्यान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चातुर्विद्य (प्रातिपदिक: चतुर् + विद्या)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन; समास: तत्पुरुष (चतुर्-विद्याः यस्य/ये)

• समाहूय: having summoned
• समाहूय: Purvakala-kriya (Absolutive)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: समाहूय (कृदन्त; √ह्वे/√हू (धातु) + ल्यप्, उपसर्ग: सम्-आ-)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-रूप कृदन्त (gerund/absolutive); पूर्वक्रिया (having called together)

• ऊचुः: they said
• ऊचुः: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• ते: they/those
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• त्रयः: three
• त्रयः: Apposition (समानााधिकरण to ते)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रि (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; संख्यावाचक

• एव: indeed/only
• एव: Sambandha/Emphasis (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (emphatic particle)

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

Speaker

Narrator (contextual; likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa in Brāhma Khaṇḍa narration)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A solemn divine council speaks of Kali’s wickedness; three luminous beings summon learned groups (Cāturvidyas) to deliberate on sustaining dharma.

Characters & Entities

• Kali
• Cāturvidya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When Kali (moral decline) is anticipated, dharmic communities respond by organizing life and livelihood in a rule-bound way to preserve order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The setting is Dharmāraṇya (a sacred forest-region); this verse itself focuses on social/dharmic measures rather than praising a specific tirtha by name.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the verse introduces a convening/announcement that leads into livelihood and community regulations.