Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

श्रीदेव्युवाच । कलिकाले महादेव भविष्यति कथंचन । स्नानं तस्मान्मम ब्रूहि यत्सारं तीर्थमेव हि

Transliteration

śrīdevyuvāca | kalikāle mahādeva bhaviṣyati kathaṃcana | snānaṃ tasmānmama brūhi yatsāraṃ tīrthameva hi

Translation

ശ്രീദേവി അരുളിച്ചെയ്തു—ഹേ മഹാദേവാ, കലിയുഗത്തിൽ ജീവികളുടെ അവസ്ഥ എങ്ങനെ ആയിരിക്കും? അതിനാൽ സാരഭൂതമായ ആ സ്നാനവും ആ തീർത്ഥവും എനിക്ക് പറഞ്ഞു തരുക।

Word by Word

• श्रीदेवी: Śrī Devī
• श्रीदेवी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्री (प्रातिपदिक) + देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः कर्मधारयः (‘śrī’ qualifying ‘devī’)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• कलिकाले: in the Kali age
• कलिकाले: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कलि (प्रातिपदिक) + काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (कलेः कालः)

• महादेव: O Mahādeva
• महादेव: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः कर्मधारयः

• भविष्यति: will be/happen
• भविष्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• कथंचन: somehow/at all
• कथंचन: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथंचन (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनिश्चितार्थक-क्रियाविशेषण (indefinite adverb: ‘somehow/at all’)

• स्नानम्: bathing
• स्नानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तस्मात्: therefore/from that
• तस्मात्: Hetu/Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

• मम: to me/of me
• मम: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• ब्रूहि: tell
• ब्रूहि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन

• यत्: which
• यत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्धक (relative)

• सारम्: essential, best
• सारम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (तीर्थम्)

• तीर्थम्: tīrtha (holy place)
• तीर्थम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• एव: indeed/only
• एव: Avadharana (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारणार्थक-निपात

• हि: for/indeed
• हि: Hetu (Reason marker/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; हेत्वर्थक/निश्चयार्थक-निपात (particle: ‘for/indeed’)

Speaker

Śrī Devī (Pārvatī)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Sāra-tīrtha (requested; to be specified in subsequent verses)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādeva (Śiva)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devī, compassionate and concerned, questions Mahādeva about the fate of beings in Kali-yuga and asks for the ‘sāra’—the essential tīrtha and essential bathing practice; the atmosphere is dusk-like, suggesting the waning of dharma.

Characters & Entities

• Śrī Devī
• Mahādeva
• Kali-yuga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In Kali-yuga, seekers look for a concentrated, accessible essence of dharma—an especially efficacious tīrtha and snāna.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single site is named yet; Devī requests the ‘sāra-tīrtha’ which Śiva will identify next as Hāṭakeśvara.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The focus is on snāna (sacred bathing) as the key rite, seeking the most essential place to perform it.