Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 53

Devanagari script

कलिकाले च संप्राप्ते येन लोपं न गच्छति । स्वयं निश्चित्य मनसा चोपविश्य धरातले

Transliteration

kalikāle ca saṃprāpte yena lopaṃ na gacchati | svayaṃ niścitya manasā copaviśya dharātale

Translation

Apabila Zaman Kali telah tiba, baginda merenung bagaimana tradisi suci ini tidak akan lenyap. Setelah menetapkan tekad dalam hati, baginda pun duduk di atas bumi untuk bermeditasi dan menentukan jalan pemeliharaannya.

Word by Word

• kalikāle: in the Kali age
• kalikāle: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kalikāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), सप्तमी (locative), एकवचन (singular)

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

• saṃprāpte: when (it) has arrived
• saṃprāpte: Adhikarana (Locative absolute/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sam-√prāp (धातु) + ta (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकृत् (past passive participle), सप्तमी (locative), एकवचन (singular), नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग-सम्भव; सति-सप्तमी (locative absolute) with kalikāle

• yena: by which
• yena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक (masc/neut), तृतीया (instrumental), एकवचन (singular)

• lopam: loss; disappearance
• lopam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: lopa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), द्वितीया (accusative), एकवचन (singular)

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• gacchati: goes; comes to
• gacchati: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √gam (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (singular), परस्मैपद

• svayam: himself
• svayam: Karta (Agent-emphasis/कर्ता)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: svayam (अव्यय)
• Form: स्वयम्-शब्दः (adverb: oneself)

• niścitya: having ascertained
• niścitya: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nis-√ci (धातु) + tya (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund)

• manasā: with the mind
• manasā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: manas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), तृतीया (instrumental), एकवचन (singular)

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

• upaviśya: having sat down
• upaviśya: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: upa-√viś (धातु) + tya (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund)

• dharātale: on the ground
• dharātale: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dharā-tala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), सप्तमी (locative), एकवचन (singular)

Speaker

Narrative voice (context indicates Brahmā is the acting subject within the māhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gartāśvetā / Puṣkara-traya locus (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brahmā, contemplative, seated directly on the earth in a quiet tīrtha-grove; the atmosphere suggests the onset of Kali—dimmed light, yet a steady inner radiance around the deity as he resolves to protect sacred custom.

Characters & Entities

• Kali-yuga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In Kali-yuga, sacred traditions require deliberate inner resolve and mindful protection so that dharma does not decline.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The surrounding passage concerns Puṣkara (Puṣkara-traya), whose sanctity is being safeguarded for Kali-yuga.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is prescribed here; it sets the narrative of Brahmā’s contemplation to preserve tīrtha-practice.