Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

अश्वसेन उवाच । कलिकालकृते किंचिद्व्रतं मे वद सन्मुने । स्वल्पायासं महत्पुण्यं सर्वपापप्रणाशनम्

Transliteration

aśvasena uvāca | kalikālakṛte kiṃcidvrataṃ me vada sanmune | svalpāyāsaṃ mahatpuṇyaṃ sarvapāpapraṇāśanam

Translation

അശ്വസേനൻ പറഞ്ഞു—ഹേ സന്മുനേ, കലികാലത്തിന് അനുയോജ്യമായ ഒരു വ്രതം എനിക്ക് പറയുക; അല്പശ്രമത്തിൽ മഹാപുണ്യം നൽകുകയും സർവ്വപാപങ്ങൾ നശിപ്പിക്കുകയും ചെയ്യുന്നതായിരിക്കണം।

Word by Word

• अश्वसेनः: Aśvasena
• अश्वसेनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्वसेन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• कलिकालकृते: in the Kali age/time
• कलिकालकृते: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कलि-काल-कृत (प्रातिपदिक); कलि + काल + कृत
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; विशेषण (to ‘vrataṃ’)

• किंचित्: some, a certain
• किंचित्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: किंचित् (सर्वनाम/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; अनिश्चित-परिमाणवाचक (indefinite) विशेषण

• व्रतम्: vow, observance
• व्रतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्रत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• मे: to me / my
• मे: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

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

• सन्मुने: O good sage
• सन्मुने: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्- मुनि (प्रातिपदिक); सत् + मुनि
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• स्वल्पायासम्: requiring little effort
• स्वल्पायासम्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वल्प-आयास (प्रातिपदिक); स्वल्प + आयास
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण (to ‘vrataṃ’)

• महत्पुण्यम्: of great merit
• महत्पुण्यम्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत्-पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक); महत् + पुण्य
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण (to ‘vrataṃ’)

• सर्वपापप्रणाशनम्: destroyer of all sins
• सर्वपापप्रणाशनम्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व-पाप-प्रणाशन (प्रातिपदिक); सर्व + पाप + प्रणाशन
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण (to ‘vrataṃ’)

Speaker

Aśvasena

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Bhartṛyajña

Visual Art Cues

Scene: King Aśvasena with folded hands (añjali) addresses sage Bhartṛyajña seated on kuśa grass; the king’s face shows earnestness and humility; a small sacrificial fire or water-pot indicates ritual context.

Characters & Entities

• Aśvasena
• Kali-yuga
• Bhartṛyajña (implied listener)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In Kali-yuga, dharma is upheld through practicable vows that still carry profound purifying power.

Which specific holy site (Tīrtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is named in this verse; the chapter’s setting is within a Tīrthamāhātmya framework.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A request for a vrata characterized by minimal effort, great merit, and complete sin-destruction.