Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 34

Devanagari script

कलिकाले च संप्राप्ते सर्वप्राणिभयंकरे । तत्र प्रयांतु तीर्थानि सर्वा ण्येव विशेषतः

Transliteration

kalikāle ca saṃprāpte sarvaprāṇibhayaṃkare | tatra prayāṃtu tīrthāni sarvā ṇyeva viśeṣataḥ

Translation

സകല ജീവികൾക്കും ഭയങ്കരമായ കലിയുഗം വന്നെത്തുമ്പോൾ, പ്രത്യേകിച്ച് എല്ലാ തീർത്ഥങ്ങളും ആ (കലിയില്ലാത്ത) സ്ഥലത്തേക്കു പോകട്ടെ.

Word by Word

• कलिकाले: in the Kali age
• कलिकाले: Adhikarana (Location/Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कलिकाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘कलिः + कालः’; पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; अधिकरण

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction)

• संप्राप्ते: when (it has) arrived
• संप्राप्ते: Adhikarana (Locative absolute/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-प्र-आप् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; सति-सप्तमी (locative absolute)

• सर्वप्राणिभयंकरे: terrifying to all beings
• सर्वप्राणिभयंकरे: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + प्राणि (प्रातिपदिक) + भयङ्कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुपद-तत्पुरुष (determinative): ‘सर्वेषां प्राणिनां भयङ्करः’; पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; सति-सप्तमी-विशेषण

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb ‘there’)

• प्रयान्तु: let (them) go
• प्रयान्तु: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-या (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative/लोट्), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन

• तीर्थानि: tīrthas
• तीर्थानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; कर्ता

• सर्वाणि: all
• सर्वाणि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (to तीर्थानि)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• विशेषतः: especially
• विशेषतः: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विशेषतः (अव्यय)
• Form: रीत्यर्थक-अव्यय (adverb ‘especially’)

Speaker

Pitāmaha (Brahmā) (deduced from adhyāya flow)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: All tīrtha-s (collective) with special mention of Puṣkara context

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣi-s/assembly (implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At the onset of Kali, personified tīrtha-devatā-s and river goddesses depart in procession toward a luminous sanctuary; the world behind appears chaotic and fearful.

Characters & Entities

• Kali-yuga
• Tīrthas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kali-yuga threatens spiritual stability, so dharmic sanctuaries (tīrthas) are envisioned as protected refuges for seekers.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse points to a Kali-free locus connected with Puṣkara in this adhyāya’s narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual is stated; it frames the theological reason for tīrtha-protection and relocation.