Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

कलिकाले विशेषेण स्वैरिण्यो ललितस्पृहाः । भर्त्रा विवदमानाश्च स्त्रियः कार्मणतत्पराः । वृथा व्रतानि कुर्वंति त्यक्त्वा ताः स्वपतेः कथाम्

Transliteration

kalikāle viśeṣeṇa svairiṇyo lalitaspṛhāḥ | bhartrā vivadamānāśca striyaḥ kārmaṇatatparāḥ | vṛthā vratāni kurvaṃti tyaktvā tāḥ svapateḥ kathām

Translation

โดยเฉพาะในกาลียุค สตรีทั้งหลายกลับตามใจตน ใฝ่หาความรื่นรมย์; โต้เถียงกับสามี และมุ่งมั่นในพิธีกรรมคาถาอาคมอันคดเคี้ยว ครั้นละทิ้งหนทางแห่งความซื่อสัตย์ต่อสามีของตนแล้ว ก็ทำวรตะไปโดยเปล่าประโยชน์

Word by Word

• कलिकाले: in the Kali age
• कलिकाले: Adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कलि-काल (प्रातिपदिक; कलि + काल)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• विशेषेण: especially
• विशेषेण: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial instrumental)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विशेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; अव्ययीभावार्थे (especially)

• स्वैरिण्यः: wanton/independent women
• स्वैरिण्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वैरिणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• ललितस्पृहाः: desiring pleasures/beauty
• ललितस्पृहाः: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ललित-स्पृह (प्रातिपदिक; ललित + स्पृह)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (ललिते स्पृहा यस्याः)

• भर्त्रा: with the husband
• भर्त्रा: Sahakari/Karana (Agent/means in dispute)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भर्तृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• विवदमानाः: quarrelling, disputing
• विवदमानाः: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + वद् (धातु) + विवदमान (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: शतृ/शानच्-वर्तमानकृदन्त (present participle, आत्मनेपद-रूप), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

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

• स्त्रियः: women
• स्त्रियः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्त्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• कार्मणतत्पराः: devoted to magical rites
• कार्मणतत्पराः: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कार्मण-तत्पर (प्रातिपदिक; कार्मण + तत्पर)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (कार्मणे तत्पराः = intent on sorcery/rites)

• वृथा: in vain
• वृथा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वृथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (in vain)

• व्रतानि: vows, observances
• व्रतानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्रत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

• कुर्वन्ति: do, perform
• कुर्वन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन

• त्यक्त्वा: having abandoned
• त्यक्त्वा: Purvakala (Prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: त्यज् (धातु) + त्यक्त्वा (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (absolutive/gerund)

• ताः: they (those women)
• ताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• स्वपतेः: of (their) own husband
• स्वपतेः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व-पति (प्रातिपदिक; स्व + पति)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (स्वः पति = own husband)

• कथाम्: talk, account, words
• कथाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कथा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

Speaker

Nārada (addressing Pitāmaha/Brahmā)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A domestic scene near a shrine: a couple in dispute, while the woman performs a vow with ritual items; a shadowy figure representing ‘kārmaṇa’ manipulation hovers; a sage points to a path labeled dharma, indicating vows must align with right conduct.

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• Brahmā (Pitāmaha)
• Kali-yuga
• Vrata

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual observance (vrata) bears fruit only when grounded in dharma; hypocrisy and harmful intent render it empty.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is praised in this verse; it describes Kali-yuga conditions that threaten tīrtha-dharma.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Vrata is mentioned, but as a warning: vows done with wrongdoing or manipulation are declared fruitless.