Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

शौनक उवाच । कथं सूत युगे ह्यस्मिन्रौद्रे वै कलिसंज्ञके । बहुपाखंडसंकीर्णे प्राप्स्यामो मधुसूदनम्

Transliteration

śaunaka uvāca | kathaṃ sūta yuge hyasminraudre vai kalisaṃjñake | bahupākhaṃḍasaṃkīrṇe prāpsyāmo madhusūdanam

Translation

เศานกะกล่าวว่า: โอ้สูตะ ในกาลียุคอันดุเดือดนี้ ซึ่งปะปนด้วยลัทธิหลงผิดนานา เราจักบรรลุพระมธุสูทนะ พระวิษณุผู้เป็นเจ้า ได้อย่างไร

Word by Word

• शौनकः: Śaunaka
• शौनकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शौनक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative/1st), एकवचनम्

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd person), एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Prashna (Interrogative/प्रश्न)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; प्रश्नवाचक-अव्यय (interrogative adverb)

• सूत: O Sūta
• सूत: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सम्बोधन-विभक्तिः (Vocative), एकवचनम्

• युगे: in the age
• युगे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः (Locative/7th), एकवचनम्

• हि: indeed/for
• हि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; निपात (emphatic/causal particle)

• अस्मिन्: in this
• अस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः (Locative/7th), एकवचनम्; सर्वनाम

• रौद्रे: fierce/terrible
• रौद्रे: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रौद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः (Locative/7th), एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् (युगस्य)

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; निपात (emphatic particle)

• कलिसंज्ञके: called ‘Kali’
• कलिसंज्ञके: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कलि (प्रातिपदिक) + संज्ञक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः (Locative/7th), एकवचनम्; तत्पुरुषः (कलिः संज्ञा यस्य/कलिसंज्ञकः)

• बहुपाखण्डसंकीर्णे: filled with many heresies
• बहुपाखण्डसंकीर्णे: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु (प्रातिपदिक) + पाखण्ड (प्रातिपदिक) + संकीर्ण (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √कॄ/कीर्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः (Locative/7th), एकवचनम्; तत्पुरुषः (बहुभिः पाखण्डैः संकीर्णम्)

• प्राप्स्यामः: shall we attain
• प्राप्स्यामः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-आप् (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), उत्तमपुरुषः (1st person), बहुवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• मधुसूदनम्: Madhusūdana (Viṣṇu)
• मधुसूदनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मधु (प्रातिपदिक) + सूदन (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √सूद्/सूदय्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Accusative/2nd), एकवचनम्; तत्पुरुषः (मधोः सूदनः)

Speaker

Śaunaka

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sūta

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Forest hermitage of Naimiṣāraṇya: Śaunaka and sages seated around Sūta, faces intent, asking how to reach Madhusūdana in Kali-yuga; palm-leaf manuscripts, sacrificial fire, dusk light.

Characters & Entities

• Śaunaka
• Sūta
• Madhusūdana (Viṣṇu)
• Kali-yuga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even in Kali-yuga’s confusion, sincere seekers can ask for and receive a clear dharmic path to attain God.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader section is Dvārakā Māhātmya, preparing the ground for Dvārakā’s sacred significance, though this verse is the opening question.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; it frames a theological inquiry about the means of attainment in Kali-yuga.