Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

कलेर्युगं महाघोरं प्राप्य पापसमन्वितम् । नान्येनाऽस्मिन्नुपायेन धर्म्मः स्वर्गश्च लभ्यते । विना यात्रां महादेवि सोमेशस्य न संशयः

Transliteration

kaleryugaṃ mahāghoraṃ prāpya pāpasamanvitam | nānyenā'sminnupāyena dharmmaḥ svargaśca labhyate | vinā yātrāṃ mahādevi someśasya na saṃśayaḥ

Translation

പാപസമന്വിതമായ ഈ മഹാഘോര കലിയുഗം വന്നപ്പോൾ ഇവിടെ മറ്റേതൊരു ഉപായത്താലും ധർമ്മവും സ്വർഗ്ഗവും ലഭ്യമല്ല. മഹാദേവീ, സോമേശ്വരയാത്രയില്ലാതെ—ഇതിൽ സംശയമില്ല.

Word by Word

• कलेः: of Kali (age/personified Kali)
• कलेः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कलि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• युगम्: the age (yuga)
• युगम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• महाघोरम्: very terrible
• महाघोरम्: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महाघोर (प्रातिपदिक; महा + घोर)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying युगम्)

• प्राप्य: having reached
• प्राप्य: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial participle/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + आप् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive), ‘having attained/reached’

• पापसमन्वितम्: endowed with sin
• पापसमन्वितम्: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाप-समन्वित (प्रातिपदिक; पाप + समन्वित)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying युगम्)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध (negation particle)

• अन्येन: by another
• अन्येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying उपायेन)

• अस्मिन्: in this (context/age)
• अस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• उपायेन: by means
• उपायेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपाय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• धर्मः: dharma (merit/righteousness)
• धर्मः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• स्वर्गः: heaven
• स्वर्गः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वर्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय (conjunction)

• लभ्यते: is obtained
• लभ्यते: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive)

• विना: without
• विना: Sambandha (Prepositional relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विना (अव्यय)
• Form: उपसर्गसदृश अव्यय; वियोग/अभाव (preposition ‘without’), द्वितीयासम्बन्धी

• यात्राम्: pilgrimage
• यात्राम्: Karma (Object governed by ‘विना’/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यात्रा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• महादेवि: O great goddess
• महादेवि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महादेवी (प्रातिपदिक; महा + देवी)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• सोमेशस्य: of Someśa (Lord Soma/Śiva)
• सोमेशस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सोमेश (प्रातिपदिक; सोम + ईश)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• न: no/not
• न: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध (negation particle)

• संशयः: doubt
• संशयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संशय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (addressing Mahādevī/Devī; deduced from vocative and Purāṇic dialogue)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Someśvara (Somanātha) at Prabhāsa

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādevī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A darkened landscape symbolizing Kali-yuga—figures burdened by chains labeled ‘pāpa’—contrasts with a radiant coastal temple of Someśvara; a path of light leads pilgrims to the liṅga, while Devī listens to the proclamation.

Characters & Entities

• Kali-yuga
• Dharma
• Svarga
• Mahādevī
• Someśvara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In Kali-yuga, pilgrimage is upheld as a decisive, grace-filled path to dharma and heavenly merit when other disciplines are difficult to sustain.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Someśvara at Prabhāsa (Prabhāsakṣetra), a major Śaiva locus in the Skanda Purāṇa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The prescription is yātrā (pilgrimage) specifically connected with Someśvara; it is presented as essential in Kali-yuga.