Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

भयात्कलिविशेषेण अधर्मस्य भयादिभिः । सर्वे देवाः क्षितिं त्यक्त्वा नैमिषारण्यमाश्रिताः

Transliteration

bhayātkaliviśeṣeṇa adharmasya bhayādibhiḥ | sarve devāḥ kṣitiṃ tyaktvā naimiṣāraṇyamāśritāḥ

Translation

کَلی کے خاص ہول اور اَدھرم کے خوف وغیرہ کے سبب، سب دیوتا زمین کو چھوڑ کر نَیمِش آراṇیہ میں پناہ گزیں ہوئے۔

Word by Word

• bhayāt: from fear
• bhayāt: Apadana (Source/Cause/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative), एकवचन

• kali-viśeṣeṇa: due to the peculiarity of Kali (age)
• kali-viśeṣeṇa: Karana (Instrument/Cause/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kali (प्रातिपदिक) + viśeṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः = ‘कलौ विशेषः’

• adharmasya: of unrighteousness
• adharmasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: adharma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन

• bhayādibhiḥ: by fears and the like
• bhayādibhiḥ: Karana (Instrument/Cause/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhaya (प्रातिपदिक) + ādi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः = ‘भयम् आदि यस्य’ (fear etc.)

• sarve: all
• sarve: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषण

• devāḥ: gods
• devāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• kṣitim: the earth
• kṣitim: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṣiti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• tyaktvā: having abandoned
• tyaktvā: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √tyaj (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund) = ‘त्यजित्वा’

• naimiṣāraṇyam: the Naimiṣa forest
• naimiṣāraṇyam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: naimiṣa (प्रातिपदिक) + āraṇya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः = ‘नैमिषे आरण्यम्’ (Naimiṣa forest)

• āśritāḥ: took refuge (resorted to)
• āśritāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: āśrita (कृदन्त; √śri सेवने/आश्रये, उपसर्ग ā-)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त) प्रयुक्तः विधेय-क्रियावत् = ‘आश्रितवन्तः/आश्रिताः’

Speaker

Vyāsa

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Naimiṣāraṇya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Yudhiṣṭhira (addressed as nṛpa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devas departing the troubled earth, moving toward a luminous forest sanctuary; Naimiṣa shown as a radiant grove with yajña-kuṇḍas, sages, and protective light.

Characters & Entities

• Vyāsa
• Kali-yuga
• Naimiṣāraṇya
• Devas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In times of adharma, refuge in a sanctified kṣetra (holy forest) and dharmic practice becomes the divine and human safeguard.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Naimiṣāraṇya is explicitly praised as a refuge even for the devas.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is prescribed; the verse emphasizes āśraya (taking refuge) in a sacred place.