Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

भविष्यंति कलौ प्राप्ते मलिना दुष्टवृत्तयः । मद्यपानरताः सर्वेप्यया ज्यानां हि याजकाः

Transliteration

bhaviṣyaṃti kalau prāpte malinā duṣṭavṛttayaḥ | madyapānaratāḥ sarvepyayā jyānāṃ hi yājakāḥ

Translation

เมื่อกาลียุคมาถึง ผู้คนจักมัวหมองและประพฤติชั่ว; ทุกคนยินดีในการดื่มสุรา และยังรับเป็นปุโรหิตประกอบยัญพิธีแม้แก่ผู้ไม่สมควรแก่ยัญญะ

Word by Word

• भविष्यन्ति: will be / will become
• भविष्यन्ति: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः (वर्तमाने भविष्यदर्थे/भविष्यत्सूचकः), प्रथमपुरुषः, बहुवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• कलौ: in Kali (age)
• कलौ: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कलि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः (अधिकरणे/Locative), एकवचनम्

• प्राप्ते: when (it is) arrived / when it has come
• प्राप्ते: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र-आप् (धातु) → प्राप्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्तः (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्गे/नपुंसके, सप्तमी-एकवचनम्; 'कलौ' इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• मलिनाः: impure, tainted
• मलिनाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मलिन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; 'दुष्टवृत्तयः/याजकाः' इत्यादीनां विशेषणम्

• दुष्टवृत्तयः: people of wicked conduct
• दुष्टवृत्तयः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुष्ट (प्रातिपदिक) + वृत्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; कर्मधारय-समासः (दुष्टा वृत्तिः यस्याः/येषां ते)

• मद्यपानरताः: addicted to drinking liquor
• मद्यपानरताः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मद्य (प्रातिपदिक) + पान (प्रातिपदिक) + रत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; षष्ठी/सप्तमी-तत्पुरुषभावः (मद्यपाने रताः)

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्

• अपि: also, even
• अपि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपातः (particle), समुच्चय/अप्यर्थे

• अयाज्यानाम्: of those who are not fit to be sacrificed for
• अयाज्यानाम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अ-याज्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः (सम्बन्धे/Genitive), बहुवचनम्; 'याजकाः' इत्यस्य सम्बन्धः

• हि: indeed, for
• हि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपातः (emphatic/causal particle)

• याजकाः: priests, sacrificers
• याजकाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: याजक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्

Speaker

Sūta (deduced; exact speaker not in snippet)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A darkening age: intoxicated crowds, polluted streets, and a priest accepting offerings indiscriminately; in the background a neglected altar and dimmed sacred fire, symbolizing ritual decay.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual without purity and integrity becomes adharma; spiritual authority must be grounded in self-restraint and eligibility.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is cited in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It references yajña officiation ethics by warning against performing rites for ayājya (unqualified) persons.