Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 95

Devanagari script

मिथ्यारीतिसमाचारा मिथ्याज्ञानप्रभाषिणः । प्राप्ते कलियुगे घोरे कलिजैः किल पीडिताः

Transliteration

mithyārītisamācārā mithyājñānaprabhāṣiṇaḥ | prāpte kaliyuge ghore kalijaiḥ kila pīḍitāḥ

Translation

وہ جھوٹی رسموں اور باطل چال چلن پر چلیں گے، بناوٹی علم کی باتیں کریں گے؛ اور جب ہولناک کَلی یُگ آئے گا تو کَلی سے پیدا ہونے والی آفتوں سے یقیناً ستائے جائیں گے۔

Word by Word

• mithyā: falsely
• mithyā: Viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial qualifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: mithyā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb), मिथ्या-अर्थे (falsely)

• rīti: practice, custom
• rīti: Samāsa-aṅga (Compound member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rīti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom/Acc), एकवचन (as compound member)

• samācārāḥ: conducts, behaviors
• samācārāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: samācāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन

• mithyā: falsely
• mithyā: Viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial qualifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: mithyā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb), मिथ्या-अर्थे

• jñāna: knowledge
• jñāna: Samāsa-aṅga (Compound member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jñāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (as compound member)

• prabhāṣiṇaḥ: speakers, proclaimers
• prabhāṣiṇaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pra + √bhāṣ (भाष् धातु) (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (णिनि/इन्-प्रत्ययान्त, agent noun), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• prāpte: when (it) has come/arrived
• prāpte: Adhikaraṇa (Locative absolute)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pra + √āp (आप् धातु) (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त/PPP), सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; सति-सप्तमी (locative absolute)

• kaliyuge: in the Kali age
• kaliyuge: Adhikaraṇa (Location/Time)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kali + yuga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (कलियुगः)

• ghore: terrible
• ghore: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ghora (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (kaliyuge)

• kalijaiḥ: by those born of Kali (Kali-born people)
• kalijaiḥ: Karaṇa/Hetu (Agent/Cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kali + ja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (कलिजाः = कलितः जाताः/कलौ जाताः)

• kila: indeed, reportedly
• kila: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kila (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), खलु/किल-अर्थे (indeed, it is said)

• pīḍitāḥ: afflicted, oppressed
• pīḍitāḥ: Karta (Subject in passive)/Predicate adjective
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √pīḍ (पीड् धातु) (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त/PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगे (passive sense)

Speaker

Dadhīca Ṛṣi (continuing the curse/prophecy)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Dakṣa’s party/īśvara-vidviṣaḥ; broader Kali-yuga audience by extension

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A prophetic tableau: the cursed group transforms over time into Kali-age figures—wearing religious marks yet acting deceitfully—surrounded by symbols of turmoil (broken rituals, quarrel, disease), while a distant shrine-light remains as the true refuge.

Characters & Entities

• Kali Yuga
• Kali-born evils (kali-ja)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

False religiosity and counterfeit knowledge are marks of decline; they lead to suffering in Kali Yuga.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The prophecy is embedded in the Vastrāpathakṣetra Māhātmya of Prabhāsa, strengthening the tīrtha’s dharmic message.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; it is a moral-prophetic warning about conduct and teaching.