Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

कलौ हीनायुषो मर्त्या दुर्बलाः श्रमपीडिताः । दुर्मेधसो दुःखभाजो धर्माचारविवर्जिताः

Transliteration

kalau hīnāyuṣo martyā durbalāḥ śramapīḍitāḥ | durmedhaso duḥkhabhājo dharmācāravivarjitāḥ

Translation

കലിയുഗത്തിൽ മർത്ത്യർ അൽപായുസ്സുള്ളവരും ദുർബലരുമായി അധ്വാനപീഡിതരാകുന്നു; ബുദ്ധി മന്ദമാകുന്നു, ദുഃഖഭാജകരാകുന്നു, ധർമ്മാചാരത്തിൽ നിന്ന് വിട്ടുനിൽക്കുന്നു।

Word by Word

• कलौ: in Kali (age)
• कलौ: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कलि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Masculine, Locative, Singular

• हीन-आयुषः: short-lived
• हीन-आयुषः: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हीन (प्रातिपदिक) + आयुस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Masculine, Nominative, Plural; विशेषण (मर्त्याः)

• मर्त्याः: mortals/people
• मर्त्याः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मर्त्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• दुर्बलाः: weak
• दुर्बलाः: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुर्बल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Masculine, Nominative, Plural; विशेषण (मर्त्याः)

• श्रम-पीडिताः: afflicted by toil
• श्रम-पीडिताः: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रम (प्रातिपदिक) + पीडित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; पीड् धातोः क्त)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (श्रमेन पीडिताः); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Masculine, Nominative, Plural; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle)

• दुर्-मेधसः: of poor intellect
• दुर्-मेधसः: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुर् (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + मेधस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Masculine, Nominative, Plural; विशेषण (मर्त्याः)

• दुःख-भाजः: partakers of sorrow
• दुःख-भाजः: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुःख (प्रातिपदिक) + भाज् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (दुःखस्य भाजः/दुःखं भजन्ति इति); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Masculine, Nominative, Plural; विशेषण (मर्त्याः)

• धर्म-आचार-विवर्जिताः: devoid of righteous conduct
• धर्म-आचार-विवर्जिताः: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + आचार (प्रातिपदिक) + विवर्जित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; वि+वृज् धातोः क्त)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (धर्माचारात् विवर्जिताः); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Masculine, Nominative, Plural; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त

Speaker

Bādarāyaṇa (Vyāsa) / Purāṇic narrator voice (contextual)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A procession of exhausted people carrying burdens, faces clouded; in the background a small lamp-lit kathā circle offers refuge and clarity, contrasting darkness and light.

Characters & Entities

• Kali Yuga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It diagnoses Kali Yuga’s spiritual and social weakness, setting the need for accessible dharma like Purāṇa-śravaṇa.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None; the verse provides Kali Yuga context rather than a site-specific māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual is prescribed here; it describes conditions that justify simpler, compassion-based spiritual means.