Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 56

Devanagari script

कलिकालेन संस्पृष्टः श्वेतद्वीपोऽपि श्यामताम् । न प्रयाति द्विजश्रेष्ठास्ततस्तत्र निवेशितः

Transliteration

kalikālena saṃspṛṣṭaḥ śvetadvīpo'pi śyāmatām | na prayāti dvijaśreṣṭhāstatastatra niveśitaḥ

Translation

ഹേ ദ്വിജശ്രേഷ്ഠന്മാരേ, കലികാലത്തിന്റെ സ്പർശം ഉണ്ടായാലും ശ്വേതദ്വീപം ശ്യാമത്വത്തിലേക്ക് പോകുന്നില്ല; അതുകൊണ്ടുതന്നെ അത് അവിടെ സ്ഥാപിക്കപ്പെട്ടു।

Word by Word

• कलिकालेन: by the time of Kali (Kali age)
• कलिकालेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कलि (प्रातिपदिक) + काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd case), एकवचन; करण; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (कलियुगस्य कालः)

• संस्पृष्टः: touched/affected
• संस्पृष्टः: —
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्+स्पृश् (धातु) → संस्पृष्ट (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; ‘श्वेतद्वीपः’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• श्वेतद्वीपः: Śvetadvīpa
• श्वेतद्वीपः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्वेत (प्रातिपदिक) + द्वीप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन

• अपि: even
• अपि: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अप्यर्थक-निपात (even/also)

• श्यामताम्: darkness/blackness (state of being dark)
• श्यामताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्यामता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन; गत्यर्थक-क्रियायाः कर्म (state reached)

• न: not
• न: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negation)

• प्रयाति: goes/attains
• प्रयाति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र+या (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• द्विजश्रेष्ठाः: O best of the twice-born
• द्विजश्रेष्ठाः: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक) + श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), बहुवचन; सम्बोधनार्थे प्रयोगः (addressing); कर्मधारयः (श्रेष्ठा द्विजाः)

• ततः: therefore/then
• ततः: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: हेतु/अनन्तरार्थक-अव्यय (therefore/then)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (there)

• निवेशितः: was placed/settled
• निवेशितः: —
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नि+विश् (धातु) → निवेशित (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle/causative nuance possible), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; (अध्याहृतः ‘श्वेतद्वीपः’) इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śuklatīrtha (Śvetadvīpa zone)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Dvijaśreṣṭhas / Ṛṣis

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A luminous white island-like sacred zone set within a darker surrounding landscape; a personified Kali approaches but cannot dim the radiance; Viṣṇu’s protective presence is implied or shown as a boundary aura.

Characters & Entities

• Kali
• Śvetadvīpa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True sanctity is defined by steadfast purity that remains unshaken even in Kali-yuga.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Śuklatīrtha/its sacred region, characterized by the ‘whiteness’ associated with Śvetadvīpa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None stated; the verse emphasizes the tīrtha’s incorruptible nature.