Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 65

Devanagari script

ब्रह्मोवाच । मया शक्रात्र चानीतं सुपुण्यं पुष्करत्रयम् । कलिकालभयाच्चैव करिष्ये तदहं स्थिरम्

Transliteration

brahmovāca | mayā śakrātra cānītaṃ supuṇyaṃ puṣkaratrayam | kalikālabhayāccaiva kariṣye tadahaṃ sthiram

Translation

ब्रह्मोवाच—हे शक्र, मया अत्रानीतं सुपुण्यं पुष्करत्रयम्; कलिकालभयाच्चैव तदहं स्थिरं करिष्ये।

Word by Word

• brahmā: Brahmā
• brahmā: Kartā (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriyā (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• mayā: by me
• mayā: Kartā (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन

• śakra: O Śakra (Indra)
• śakra: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śakra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• atra: here
• atra: Adhikaraṇa (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (देशवाचक)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय)

• ānītam: brought
• ānītam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-√nī (धातु)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मणि

• supuṇyam: very holy
• supuṇyam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: su + puṇya (प्रातिपदिक; उपपद-समास/उपसर्गसदृश)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (पुष्करत्रयम्)

• puṣkaratrayam: the triad of Puṣkara (three sacred lakes/places)
• puṣkaratrayam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: puṣkara + traya (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; द्विगु-समासः (three Puṣkaras)

• kalikālabhayāt: from fear of the Kali age
• kalikālabhayāt: Apādāna (Cause/Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kali-kāla + bhaya (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (kalikālasya bhayam)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय)

• eva: indeed
• eva: Sambandha (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (अवधारण)

• kariṣye: I will make / I will do
• kariṣye: Kriyā (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), उत्तमपुरुष (1st), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• tat: that
• tat: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• aham: I
• aham: Kartā (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• sthiram: firm / permanent
• sthiram: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sthira (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; विशेषण (तत्)

Speaker

Brahmā

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Puṣkara-traya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis/assembly (contextual)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brahmā declares to Indra that he has brought the supremely meritorious Puṣkara-traya and will establish it firmly due to fear of Kali-yuga.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Śakra (Indra)
• Kali-yuga
• Puṣkara-traya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In Kali-yuga, stable sacred institutions—tīrthas and dhārmic foundations—are upheld to protect beings and preserve merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Puṣkara-traya (the three sacred Pushkara tīrthas) is explicitly glorified as supremely meritorious.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The intent to ‘establish firmly’ the tīrtha for Kali-yuga welfare; the ritual means are detailed in the following verses.