Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 22

Devanagari script

तीर्थानि विप्लवं यांतिपापलोकश्रितानि च । कलेभींतानि सर्वाणि प्रद्रवन्ति दिशो दश

Transliteration

tīrthāni viplavaṃ yāṃtipāpalokaśritāni ca | kalebhīṃtāni sarvāṇi pradravanti diśo daśa

Translation

ในกาลียุค ตีรถะทั้งหลายตกสู่ความปั่นป่วนเสื่อมทราม และสถานที่ที่ฝูงชนบาปพากันไปพึ่งพิงก็พลอยระทม ทุกตีรถะหวาดกลัวกาลี ราวกับหนีไปทั่วสิบทิศ

Word by Word

• तीर्थानि: holy places
• तीर्थानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• विप्लवम्: ruin, upheaval
• विप्लवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्लव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• यान्ति: go, come to
• यान्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन

• पापलोकश्रितानि: resorting to sinful realms/people
• पापलोकश्रितानि: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाप-लोक-श्रित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; श्रि (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (पापस्य लोकः; तं श्रितानि = resorting to sinful worlds/people)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (and)

• कलेभींतानि: frightened (of kaledha/kalepha—unclear reading)
• कलेभींतानि: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कलेभ-भीत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; भी (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (कलेभात् भीतानि = frightened of bodies/elephants?; पाठदोषसम्भवः)

• सर्वाणि: all
• सर्वाणि: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• प्रद्रवन्ति: run away, flee
• प्रद्रवन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + द्रु (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; उपसर्ग: प्र

• दिशः: directions
• दिशः: Karma (Goal/Direction as object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिश् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

• दश: ten
• दश: Visheshana (Numeral qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दशन् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् संख्या; द्वितीया-बहुवचनार्थे (ten)

Speaker

Nārada (addressing Pitāmaha/Brahmā)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Personified tīrthas as luminous river-deities and kṣetra-guardians scatter in ten directions, fleeing a dark, smoky figure of Kali; crowds appear shadowy and chaotic near polluted ghats; the sky shows ominous turbulence.

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• Kali (Kali-yuga)
• Tīrtha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When adharma rises, even holy institutions weaken if approached with sin; purity of conduct is essential for tīrtha-fruit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single site is named in this verse; it sets the Kali-yuga backdrop for the later focus on Puṣkara.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual is prescribed here; it warns that mere presence at tīrthas without dharma diminishes their benefit.