Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 20
Devanagari script
मत्वा कलियुगं रौद्रं बहुपापं वरानने । नान्येन तरते दुर्गां कर्मणा दुर्गतिं नरः
Transliteration
matvā kaliyugaṃ raudraṃ bahupāpaṃ varānane | nānyena tarate durgāṃ karmaṇā durgatiṃ naraḥ
Translation
हे वरानने! कलियुग रौद्र व बहुपापमय आहे असे जाणूनही, मनुष्य कोणत्याही अन्य कर्माने ही दुर्गम दुर्गती पार करू शकत नाही।
Word by Word
matvāhaving considered/knowing
matvā:
Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial modifier of main verb)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootman (धातु) → matvā (क्त्वान्त अव्यय/कृदन्त)
Formक्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभावः; पूर्वकाले कृत्यं (having considered)
kaliyugamthe Kali age
kaliyugam:
Karma (Object of matvā)
TypeNoun
Rootkaliyuga (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—कलिः + युगम् (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: ‘कलियुगः’)
raudramfierce/terrible
raudram:
Visheshana (Qualifier)
TypeAdjective
Rootraudra (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying kaliyugam)
bahupāpamfull of many sins
bahupāpam:
Visheshana (Qualifier)
TypeAdjective
Rootbahu + pāpa (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—बहु + पापम् (कर्मधारयः: ‘बहुपापम्’ = ‘many-sinful’)
varānaneO fair-faced one
varānane:
Sambodhana (Address)
TypeNoun
Rootvarānana (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन; समासः—वर + आनन (कर्मधारयः: ‘beautiful-faced’)
nanot
na:
Negation (of tarate)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootna (अव्यय)
Formनिषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negation particle)
anyenaby any other (means)
anyena:
Karana (Instrument/means)
TypeNoun
Rootanya (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; ‘by another (means)’
taratecrosses/overcomes
tarate:
Kriya (Main verb)
TypeVerb
Roottṝ (धातु)
Formलट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद
durgāmdifficulty/danger (hard passage)
durgām:
Karma (Object of tarate)
TypeNoun
Rootdurgā (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन
karmaṇāby action/deed
karmaṇā:
Karana (Instrument/means)
TypeNoun
Rootkarman (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन
durgatimmisfortune/bad destiny
durgatim:
Karma (Object; what is crossed/avoided)
TypeNoun
Rootdurgati (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन
naraḥa man/person
naraḥ:
Karta (Subject)
TypeNoun
Rootnara (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन
Speaker
Śiva (addressing Devī; 'varānane')
Characters & Entities
K
Kali-yugaD
DevīFAQs
In the Kali age, ordinary karmic striving tends toward hardship; one needs a higher salvific support—implied here as the kṣetra’s deity-centered refuge.
The surrounding context is Prabhāsa Kṣetra and Someśvara worship as the implied means of crossing Kali-yuga’s dangers.
No explicit ritual is named in this verse; it sets the theological premise that ordinary means are insufficient, preparing for the kṣetra-based remedy.