Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 44

Devanagari script

प्रच्छन्नानि द्विजवरास्तीर्थानि कलिसंक्रमे । प्लावितानि समुद्रेण पांसुनाऽप्युदकेन च

Transliteration

pracchannāni dvijavarāstīrthāni kalisaṃkrame | plāvitāni samudreṇa pāṃsunā'pyudakena ca

Translation

हे द्विजश्रेष्ठांनो, कलियुगाच्या आरंभी ही तीर्थे लुप्त झाली. समुद्राने ती प्लावित झाली आणि वाळू व पाण्यानेही झाकली गेली.

Word by Word

• प्रच्छन्नानि: covered/hidden
• प्रच्छन्नानि: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र + छद् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle, क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifying तीर्थानि)

• द्विजवराः: O best of the twice-born (brāhmaṇas)
• द्विजवराः: Sambodhana (Address/Vocative sense)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज + वर (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; कर्मधारय (वराः द्विजाः)

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

• कलिसंक्रमे: at the advent/transition of Kali (age)
• कलिसंक्रमे: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कलि + संक्रम (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (कलौ संक्रमणः)

• प्लावितानि: flooded/inundated
• प्लावितानि: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्लु (धातु) + णिच् (causative) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle, क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifying तीर्थानि)

• समुद्रेण: by the sea
• समुद्रेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: समुद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• पांसुना: by sand/dust
• पांसुना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पांसु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

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

• उदकेन: by water
• उदकेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उदक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

Speaker

Unspecified narrator within Dvārakā Māhātmya (contextual narrator addressing brāhmaṇas/sages)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā tīrthas (concealed)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brāhmaṇas (dvija-vara)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A coastal sacred landscape where shrines and tīrtha-steps are half-buried; waves surge, sand drifts cover ancient markers; brāhmaṇas listen as the speaker points to the sea’s encroachment.

Characters & Entities

• Kali-yuga
• Ocean (Samudra)
• Dvārakā tīrthas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even when sacred sites become physically obscured in Kali-yuga, their sanctity remains, and remembering them sustains pilgrimage-consciousness and faith.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Dvārakā-region tīrthas as a whole, described as becoming hidden due to oceanic and environmental changes in Kali-yuga.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is prescribed; the verse explains the condition of the tīrthas (concealed/flooded) in Kali-yuga.