Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

कलिर्दुष्टस्तथा प्रोक्तः किं करिष्यति पापकः । चातुर्विद्यान्समाहूय ऊचुस्ते त्रय एव च

Transliteration

kalirduṣṭastathā proktaḥ kiṃ kariṣyati pāpakaḥ | cāturvidyānsamāhūya ūcuste traya eva ca

Translation

“Si Kali ay ipinahayag na masama—ano ang gagawin ng makasalanang iyon?” Sa gayong wika, ang tatlong banal ay ipinatawag ang mga Cāturvidya at sila’y kinausap.

Word by Word

• कलिः: Kali (age/personified Kali)
• कलिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कलि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• दुष्टः: wicked
• दुष्टः: Visheshana (Adjectival to कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुष्ट (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक; √दुष् (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifier)

• तथा: thus
• तथा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: 'thus/so')

• प्रोक्तः: said/declared
• प्रोक्तः: Visheshana (to कलिः)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रोक्त (कृदन्त; √वच् (धातु) + क्त, उपसर्ग: प्र-)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle)

• किम्: what
• किम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक (interrogative)

• करिष्यति: will do
• करिष्यति: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• पापकः: the sinner/evil one
• पापकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पापक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्तृवाचक (agent noun)

• चातुर्विद्यान्: the four-vidyā people / those of four disciplines
• चातुर्विद्यान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चातुर्विद्य (प्रातिपदिक: चतुर् + विद्या)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन; समास: तत्पुरुष (चतुर्-विद्याः यस्य/ये)

• समाहूय: having summoned
• समाहूय: Purvakala-kriya (Absolutive)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: समाहूय (कृदन्त; √ह्वे/√हू (धातु) + ल्यप्, उपसर्ग: सम्-आ-)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-रूप कृदन्त (gerund/absolutive); पूर्वक्रिया (having called together)

• ऊचुः: they said
• ऊचुः: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• ते: they/those
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• त्रयः: three
• त्रयः: Apposition (समानााधिकरण to ते)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रि (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; संख्यावाचक

• एव: indeed/only
• एव: Sambandha/Emphasis (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (emphatic particle)

• च: and
• च: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual; likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa in Brāhma Khaṇḍa narration)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A solemn divine council speaks of Kali’s wickedness; three luminous beings summon learned groups (Cāturvidyas) to deliberate on sustaining dharma.

Characters & Entities

• Kali
• Cāturvidya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When Kali (moral decline) is anticipated, dharmic communities respond by organizing life and livelihood in a rule-bound way to preserve order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The setting is Dharmāraṇya (a sacred forest-region); this verse itself focuses on social/dharmic measures rather than praising a specific tirtha by name.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the verse introduces a convening/announcement that leads into livelihood and community regulations.