Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 48

Devanagari script

धरण्युवाच । कालनेमिर्हतो योऽसौ विष्णुनाप्रभविष्णुना । उग्रसेनसुतः कंसः संभूतः स महासुरः

Transliteration

dharaṇyuvāca | kālanemirhato yo'sau viṣṇunāprabhaviṣṇunā | ugrasenasutaḥ kaṃsaḥ saṃbhūtaḥ sa mahāsuraḥ

Translation

ଧରଣୀ କହିଲା—ଯେ କାଳନେମି ଅପ୍ରତିହତ ପରାକ୍ରମୀ ବିଷ୍ଣୁଙ୍କ ଦ୍ୱାରା ହତ ହୋଇଥିଲା, ସେଇ ଉଗ୍ରସେନଙ୍କ ପୁତ୍ର କଂସ ରୂପେ ପୁନଃ ଜନ୍ମିଛି; ସେ ମହାସୁର।

Word by Word

• dharaṇī: the Earth
• dharaṇī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dharaṇī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचन

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriyā (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• kālanemiḥ: Kālanemi
• kālanemiḥ: Karta (Subject; in relative clause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kālanemi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचन

• hataḥ: slain
• hataḥ: Kriyā (Predicate; participial)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: han (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचन; ‘हत’

• yaḥ: who
• yaḥ: Karta (Subject; relative)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: yad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक (relative pronoun)

• asau: that (one)
• asau: Apposition/Viśeṣaṇa
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: adas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचन; निर्देशवाचक (demonstrative)

• viṣṇunā: by Viṣṇu
• viṣṇunā: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viṣṇu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-एकवचन

• aprabhaviṣṇunā: by the unconquerable (Viṣṇu)
• aprabhaviṣṇunā: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a- (नञ्) + prabhaviṣṇu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-एकवचन; नञ्-समास/नकारार्थ (not overpowerable/unsurpassable)

• ugrasenasutaḥ: son of Ugrasena
• ugrasenasutaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Appositive qualifier)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ugrasena (प्रातिपदिक) + suta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (ugrasenasya sutaḥ)

• kaṃsaḥ: Kaṃsa
• kaṃsaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kaṃsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचन

• saṃbhūtaḥ: has arisen, was born
• saṃbhūtaḥ: Kriyā (Predicate; participial)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: saṃ-bhū (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचन; ‘सम्भूत’

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (Subject; resumptive)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• mahāsuraḥ: a great demon
• mahāsuraḥ: Karta (Subject complement)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + asura (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-एकवचन; कर्मधारय (mahān asuraḥ)

Speaker

Dharaṇī (Earth/Bhūmi)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brahmā (Padmajā, Caturvaktra)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Bhū-devī addresses Brahmā: Kālanemi, once slain by Viṣṇu, has reappeared as Kaṃsa, son of Ugrasena—an ominous revelation in a divine council.

Characters & Entities

• Dharaṇī (Earth)
• Viṣṇu
• Kālanemi
• Kaṃsa
• Ugrasena
• Asura

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Adharmic forces recur in new forms, but divine power (Viṣṇu) remains the ultimate protector of dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is specified in this verse; it is mythic background supporting the chapter’s sacred teaching.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse identifies a cosmic threat (Kaṃsa) as part of the narrative.