Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

यथायथा कलिर्घोरो वर्तते दारुणो नृप । तथातथाल्पतां यान्ति हीनसत्त्वा यतो नराः

Transliteration

yathāyathā kalirghoro vartate dāruṇo nṛpa | tathātathālpatāṃ yānti hīnasattvā yato narāḥ

Translation

ହେ ନୃପ! ଯେପରି ଯେପରି ଭୟଙ୍କର କଳିଯୁଗ ନିଜ ଦାରୁଣତାରେ ଅଗ୍ରସର ହୁଏ, ସେପରି ସେପରି ଅନ୍ତଃସତ୍ତ୍ୱ କ୍ଷୟ ହେତୁ ମନୁଷ୍ୟମାନେ ଅଧିକ ଅଧିକ ଅଲ୍ପତା (ସାମର୍ଥ୍ୟ ଓ ପୁଣ୍ୟ) ପାଆନ୍ତି।

Word by Word

• yathā-yathā: as and as (in whatever manner)
• yathā-yathā: Sambandha (Correlative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (पुनरुक्त-अव्यय), सम्बन्ध/प्रकारवाचक (correlative adverb: 'as...so')

• kaliḥ: Kali (the age of strife)
• kaliḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kali (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• ghoraḥ: terrible
• ghoraḥ: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ghora (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying 'kaliḥ')

• vartate: prevails, continues
• vartate: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vṛt (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• dāruṇaḥ: cruel, harsh
• dāruṇaḥ: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dāruṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying 'kaliḥ')

• nṛpa: O king
• nṛpa: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nṛpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन

• tathā-tathā: so and so (accordingly)
• tathā-tathā: Sambandha (Correlative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (पुनरुक्त-अव्यय), सम्बन्ध/प्रकारवाचक (correlative adverb: 'so...so')

• alpatām: littleness, meanness
• alpatām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: alpatā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• yānti: go, attain
• yānti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: yā (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• hīna-sattvāḥ: of diminished virtue/strength
• hīna-sattvāḥ: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: hīna (प्रातिपदिक) + sattva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष/कर्मधारयार्थ (hīnaṃ sattvaṃ yeṣām / hīna-sattvāḥ) विशेषण (qualifying 'narāḥ')

• yataḥ: because, for
• yataḥ: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, कारणवाचक (causal indeclinable: 'because/for')

• narāḥ: men, people
• narāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

Speaker

Vāyu (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) tīrtha-mahātmya (contextual)

Type: river

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (nṛpa/nṛpasattama)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sage addressing a king: behind them the river Revā flows; the atmosphere is austere, with visual motifs of time’s decay—withered garlands, dimmed sacrificial fires—contrasted with the steady, purifying river.

Characters & Entities

• Kali Yuga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kali Yuga diminishes human sattva, reducing spiritual capacity; hence dharma requires greater effort and conscious discipline.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single site; the verse gives a yuga-framework explaining changing human receptivity to tīrtha and dharma.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit prescription; it implies the need for intensified sādhana (japa, vrata, tīrtha-sevā) as Kali advances.