Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 36

Devanagari script

जपेत्काली करालीति यः शोषाय नरो द्विजाः । स शोषयति तत्कृत्स्नं यच्चित्ते धारयेन्नरः

Transliteration

japetkālī karālīti yaḥ śoṣāya naro dvijāḥ | sa śoṣayati tatkṛtsnaṃ yaccitte dhārayennaraḥ

Translation

โอ้ท่านทวิชทั้งหลาย ผู้ใดสวดภาวนา ‘กาลี กราลี’ เพื่อให้สิ่งกีดขวางเหือดแห้ง ผู้นั้นย่อมทำให้สิ่งที่ตนกำหนดไว้ในจิตเหี่ยวแห้งสิ้นเชิง

Word by Word

• जपेत्: should recite
• जपेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जप् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• काली: Kālī
• काली: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काली (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; मन्त्र/नाम (object of recitation)

• कराली: Karālī
• कराली: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कराली (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; मन्त्र/नाम (object of recitation)

• इति: thus
• इति: Avyaya (Quotative/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; इत्यादि-उद्धरणसूचक (quotative particle)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• शोषाय: for drying up/withering
• शोषाय: Sampradana (Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शोष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचन; प्रयोजनार्थे चतुर्थी

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• द्विजाः: O twice-born
• द्विजाः: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), बहुवचन

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• शोषयति: dries up (causes to wither)
• शोषयति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: शुष् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; णिच्-प्रयोग (causative sense: 'causes to dry')

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासपूर्वपद (in compound)

• कृत्स्नम्: entire/whole
• कृत्स्नम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृत्स्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः: तत् कृत्स्नम् (the whole of that)

• यत्: whatever
• यत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; सम्बन्धवाचक-सर्वनाम (relative)

• चित्ते: in the mind
• चित्ते: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चित्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; अधिकरणे सप्तमी

• धारयेत्: should hold/maintain
• धारयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: धृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A practitioner chants ‘Kālī, Karālī’ in a liminal shrine space; a dark, protective presence is suggested by flame and shadow; the intended obstruction is shown as a withering vine or drying demon-form dissolving into dust.

Characters & Entities

• Kālī
• Karālī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It underscores the focused mind (citta-dhāraṇā) as central to japa, presenting mantra as effective when intention and concentration are unified.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The surrounding passage praises a siddhi-conferring tīrtha/pīṭha in Nāgarakhaṇḍa; this verse alone does not name it.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Japa of the words ‘Kālī, Karālī’ for śoṣaṇa (withering/drying up) of the intended target.