Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

भर्तृयज्ञः पुरा तेन इदं पृष्टः कुतूहलात् । कलिकालं समुद्वीक्ष्य वर्धमानं दिनेदिने

Transliteration

bhartṛyajñaḥ purā tena idaṃ pṛṣṭaḥ kutūhalāt | kalikālaṃ samudvīkṣya vardhamānaṃ dinedine

Translation

ด้วยความใคร่รู้ ครั้งหนึ่งพระองค์ได้ทูลถามภฤตฤยัชญะถึงเรื่องนี้ เมื่อทอดพระเนตรเห็นกาลียุคเพิ่มพูนขึ้นทุกวัน

Word by Word

• भर्तृयज्ञः: Bhartṛyajña (a sage)
• भर्तृयज्ञः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भर्तृ+यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (नाम)

• पुरा: formerly
• पुरा: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्ययम् (adverb: formerly)

• तेन: by him (Aśvasena)
• तेन: Karana (Instrument/Agent in passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः (करणे/Instrumental), एकवचनम्

• इदम्: this (question/matter)
• इदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (कर्म/Accusative), एकवचनम्

• पृष्टः: was asked
• पृष्टः: Karta (Grammatical subject in passive)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पृष्ट (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √प्रच्छ् धातोः)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; भूतकृदन्तः (क्त); कर्मणि-प्रयोगे (passive sense)

• कुतूहलात्: out of curiosity
• कुतूहलात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुतूहल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, पञ्चमी-विभक्तिः (हेतौ/Ablative of cause), एकवचनम्

• कलिकालम्: the Kali age
• कलिकालम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कलि+काल (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; समासः—कर्मधारयः (‘कलियुगः कालः’)

• समुद्वीक्ष्य: having observed
• समुद्वीक्ष्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्+उद्+ईक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययम् (Gerund/Absolutive); ‘having observed’

• वर्धमानम्: increasing
• वर्धमानम्: Karma (Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वर्धमान (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √वृध् धातोः शानच्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; वर्तमानकृदन्तः (शानच्), विशेषणम् (कलिकालम्)

• दिने: in (each) day
• दिने: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• दिने: by day (day after day)
• दिने: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; पुनरुक्ति-प्रयोगः

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narration; speaker not explicit in this verse)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sages/seekers (implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: King Aśvasena gazes outward as if seeing societal decline—faded rituals, quarrels—then turns toward sage Bhartṛyajña with folded hands, seeking guidance.

Characters & Entities

• Bhartṛyajña
• Aśvasena
• Kali-yuga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Recognizing Kali-yuga’s decline prompts a sincere search for accessible, effective dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tīrtha) is glorified here?

Not specified in this verse; it frames the inquiry within the chapter’s tīrtha-oriented discourse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None yet; the question sets up the request for a suitable Kali-yuga vrata.