Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 27

Devanagari script

सत्यहीनास्तथा पापा भविष्यंति कलौ युगे । तत्र षोडशमे वर्षे नराः पलितकुन्तलाः

Transliteration

satyahīnāstathā pāpā bhaviṣyaṃti kalau yuge | tatra ṣoḍaśame varṣe narāḥ palitakuntalāḥ

Translation

Sa Kali Yuga, mawawalan ng katotohanan ang mga tao at mahuhulog sa kasalanan. Doon, kahit labing-anim na taong gulang pa lamang, ang mga lalaki ay may uban na.

Word by Word

• सत्यहीनाः: devoid of truth
• सत्यहीनाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सत्य + हीन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषण

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक अव्यय (adverb)

• पापाः: sinful
• पापाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषण

• भविष्यन्ति: will be
• भविष्यन्ति: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन

• कलौ: in Kali (age)
• कलौ: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कलि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• युगे: in the age
• युगे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (adverb of place)

• षोडशमे: in the sixteenth
• षोडशमे: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: षोडश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; क्रमवाचक (ordinal) विशेषण

• वर्षे: in (the) year
• वर्षे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• नराः: men
• नराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• पलितकुन्तलाः: having grey hair
• पलितकुन्तलाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पलित + कुन्तल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषण

Speaker

Brahmā (contextual: Brahmā describing Kali-yuga conditions)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A striking image of youths with grey hair at sixteen, standing amid a morally dim landscape; elders look helpless as truth slips away like a fading lamp.

Characters & Entities

• Kali Yuga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It warns that abandoning satya (truthfulness) leads to accelerated suffering and degeneration in Kali Yuga, urging a return to dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse sets up the Kali-yuga context; the chapter later directs refuge to Arbuda (Mount Arbuda) as a Kali-free sacred region.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is prescribed here; it functions as a diagnostic description of Kali-yuga doṣas.