Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

आविद्धकालदण्डोऽपि नानारोगहतोऽपि वा । न विनश्यति मर्त्योऽसौ प्रदोषे गिरिशार्चनात्

Transliteration

āviddhakāladaṇḍo'pi nānārogahato'pi vā | na vinaśyati martyo'sau pradoṣe giriśārcanāt

Translation

കാലദണ്ഡം പിടിച്ചാലും, പലവിധ രോഗങ്ങൾ ബാധിച്ചാലും—പ്രദോഷത്തിൽ ഗിരീശനെ അർച്ചിച്ചാൽ ആ മർത്ത്യൻ നശിക്കുകയില്ല.

Word by Word

• आविद्धकालदण्डः: one afflicted by the rod of Time (death’s blow)
• आविद्धकालदण्डः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आविद्ध + कालदण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः (बहुपद) — ‘कालस्य दण्डः’ (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष) इति ‘कालदण्ड’; तत्र ‘आविद्ध’ (क्त-कृदन्त, ‘struck/afflicted’) इति विशेषणपूर्वपद

• अपि: even/also
• अपि: Sambandha/Emphasis (सम्बन्ध/बल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle)

• नानारोगहतः: one struck by various diseases
• नानारोगहतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाना + रोग + हत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; ‘नाना’ (अव्यय-पूर्वपद) + ‘रोगहत’ (रोगैः हतः—तृतीया-तत्पुरुष)

• अपि: even/also
• अपि: Sambandha/Emphasis (सम्बन्ध/बल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle)

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), विकल्पार्थक

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात (negation particle)

• विनश्यति: perishes
• विनश्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नश् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; उपसर्गः वि-

• मर्त्यः: a mortal
• मर्त्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मर्त्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• असौ: that person
• असौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: असद्/अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• प्रदोषे: at pradoṣa time
• प्रदोषे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रदोष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• गिरिशार्चनात्: because of worship of Girīśa (Śiva)
• गिरिशार्चनात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गिरिश + अर्चन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः ‘गिरिशस्य अर्चनम्’

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic voice; not explicit in the snippet)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sick devotee at dusk offers worship; behind him looms a dark personification of Kāla with a staff, halted by Śiva’s radiance emanating from the liṅga; healing light spreads like cool moonfire.

Characters & Entities

• Girīśa (Śiva)
• Kāla (Time/Death)
• Roga (disease)
• Pradoṣa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pradoṣa worship of Śiva is extolled as a powerful refuge even against deathlike संकट (kāla) and severe illness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No particular tīrtha is named; the deity Girīśa and the sacred time pradoṣa are central.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform arcanā (formal worship) of Girīśa (Śiva) at pradoṣa.