Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 36

Devanagari script

कल्पक्षयकरे काले काले घोरे विशेषतः । उत्तरं कूलमाश्रित्य निवसन्ति च ये नराः

Transliteration

kalpakṣayakare kāle kāle ghore viśeṣataḥ | uttaraṃ kūlamāśritya nivasanti ca ye narāḥ

Translation

No tempo que traz o fim de um yuga—sobretudo em épocas terríveis—aqueles que se abrigam na margem do norte e ali habitam…

Word by Word

• कल्पक्षयकरे: in the time that causes the destruction of the aeon
• कल्पक्षयकरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कल्प-क्षय-कर (प्रातिपदिक; कर = √कृ (धातु) + अ प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (locative absolute sense with kāle)

• काले: in (that) time
• काले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन

• काले: in the time (indeed)
• काले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; पुनरुक्ति (emphatic repetition)

• घोरे: terrible
• घोरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: घोर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (kāle)

• विशेषतः: especially
• विशेषतः: None
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विशेषतः (अव्यय; विशेष + तस्)
• Form: अव्ययम्; प्रकारवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of manner/emphasis)

• उत्तरम्: northern
• उत्तरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (kūlam)

• कूलम्: bank/shore
• कूलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कूल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• आश्रित्य: having taken refuge in / having resorted to
• आश्रित्य: None
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-√श्रि (धातु) + क्त्वा (ल्यप्)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having resorted to)

• निवसन्ति: they dwell
• निवसन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-√वस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present/वर्तमान), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: None
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• ये: who
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक (relative pronoun)

• नराः: men/people
• नराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन

Speaker

Śiva (continuing)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) — Uttara-kūla-vāsa

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī/Umā

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A dark, stormy ‘ghora-kāla’ sky suggesting pralaya; seekers gather on the Narmadā’s northern bank under sacred trees, lamps and water-offerings glowing; the river appears as a luminous goddess protecting the shore.

Characters & Entities

• Northern bank (uttara-kūla) of Narmadā (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In times of fear and decline, dharmic refuge in a sanctified landscape is portrayed as spiritually and existentially protective.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The northern bank (uttara-kūla) associated with Narmadā’s sacred zone.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Āśraya (taking refuge) and nivāsa (dwelling) at the tīrtha-region are recommended as a protective spiritual practice.