Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 28

Devanagari script

कालात्ययो न कर्त्तव्यो वचनान्मम सुव्रत । कालेनोक्तस्तदा धर्म उवाच प्रस्तुतं वचः

Transliteration

kālātyayo na karttavyo vacanānmama suvrata | kālenoktastadā dharma uvāca prastutaṃ vacaḥ

Translation

“อย่าล่วงละเมิดกาลเวลาเลย โอ้ผู้มีวัตรอันงาม จงฟังถ้อยคำของเรา” ครั้นถูกกาละกล่าวดังนี้ ธรรมะ (ยมะ) จึงเอื้อนเอ่ยวาจาอันสมควรตอบ

Word by Word

• कालात्ययः: delay; transgression of the proper time
• कालात्ययः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक) + अत्यय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (कालस्य अत्ययः = 'transgression of time'); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निषेध)

• कर्तव्यः: to be done; should be done
• कर्तव्यः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रियासमान)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु) + तव्यत् (कृदन्त)
• Form: तव्यत्-कृदन्त (gerundive/obligation); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (कालात्ययः)

• वचनात्: from (your) command; because of the word
• वचनात्: Apadana (Cause/source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी, एकवचन

• मम: my
• मम: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• सुव्रत: O good-vowed one
• सुव्रत: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुव्रत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (सु + व्रत = 'good-vowed'); पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

• कालेन: by Kāla
• कालेन: Karana (Agent/instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• उक्तः: spoken; addressed
• उक्तः: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वच् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (धर्मः)

• तदा: then
• तदा: Adhikarana (Temporal/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (कालवाचक)

• धर्मः: Dharma (Yama)
• धर्मः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• प्रस्तुतम्: relevant; appropriate; at hand
• प्रस्तुतम्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र (उपसर्ग) + स्तु (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-कृदन्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (वचः)

• वचः: speech; words
• वचः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

Speaker

Narration by Sūta; direct speech attributed to Kāla; response introduced for Dharma (Yama)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra/Kedāranātha

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Kāla admonishes Yama: do not transgress Time; Yama prepares a measured reply, suggesting a formal cosmic protocol.

Characters & Entities

• Kāla
• Dharma (Yama)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is bound to cosmic order (Time), yet the story prepares for how sacred presence and devotion can introduce a higher resolution within that order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kedāra-kṣetra, as the backdrop where cosmic principles are explicitly discussed.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual; it teaches adherence to rightful timing and order (kāla) as part of dharma.