Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

पुरा कल्पेऽसुरगणैराक्रान्ते भुवनत्रये । वेदोक्तकर्मनाशे च धर्मे च विलयं गते

Transliteration

purā kalpe'suragaṇairākrānte bhuvanatraye | vedoktakarmanāśe ca dharme ca vilayaṃ gate

Translation

ในกัลป์กาลก่อน เมื่อหมู่อสูรเข้าครอบงำไตรโลก เมื่อกรรมพิธีตามพระเวทถูกทำลาย และเมื่อธรรมะเองเสื่อมถอยจนใกล้สลาย—

Word by Word

• पुरा: formerly; once
• पुरा: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, कालवाचक-क्रियाविशेषण (temporal adverb)

• कल्पे: in a kalpa (aeon)
• कल्पे: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कल्प (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• असुरगणैः: by hosts of asuras
• असुरगणैः: Kartr-karana (Agent in passive/कर्तृ-करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: असुर + गण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (Plural)

• आक्रान्ते: when (it was) overrun
• आक्रान्ते: Adhikarana (Locative absolute/सति-सप्तमी)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ + क्रम् (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle/क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; सति-सप्तमी (locative absolute) with कल्पे

• भुवनत्रये: in the three worlds
• भुवनत्रये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भुवन + त्रय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• वेदोक्तकर्मनाशे: when the destruction of Veda-prescribed rites (occurred)
• वेदोक्तकर्मनाशे: Adhikarana (Locative absolute/सति-सप्तमी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेद + उक्त + कर्म + नाश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; सति-सप्तमी (locative absolute)

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

• धर्मे: when dharma
• धर्मे: Adhikarana (Locative absolute/सति-सप्तमी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; सति-सप्तमी

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

• विलयम्: to dissolution; to ruin
• विलयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विलय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); गम्-धातोः उपपद (object with गते)

• गते: having gone (to); having fallen
• गते: Adhikarana (Locative absolute/सति-सप्तमी)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past active participle/क्तवतु-प्रायः; here क्त as 'gone'), पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; सति-सप्तमी with धर्मे

Speaker

Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya (to a king, nṛpaśreṣṭha)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Jāleśvara (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A triptych-like cosmic scene: asuras overrunning the three worlds; broken sacrificial fires and scattered ritual implements; sages grieving as dharma wanes—setting the stage for Rudra’s fierce response.

Characters & Entities

• Asura
• Dharma
• Veda
• Three worlds (bhuvanatraya)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When Dharma and Vedic practice decline, divine intervention and sacred places become instruments for restoration and protection.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The passage sets the background for a Revā (Narmadā) tīrtha narrative that culminates in the Dhūmāvarta/Kālāgnirudra context.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it establishes the cosmic crisis that later verses address through tīrtha-based rites.