Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 49

Devanagari script

कथं दैत्य युगे ह्यस्मिन्रौद्रे वै कलिसंज्ञके । भविष्यामो विना विष्णुं भीतानामभयप्रदम्

Transliteration

kathaṃ daitya yuge hyasminraudre vai kalisaṃjñake | bhaviṣyāmo vinā viṣṇuṃ bhītānāmabhayapradam

Translation

“Làm sao chúng tôi có thể chịu đựng, hỡi Daitya, trong thời đại dữ dội này gọi là Kali, nếu không có Viṣṇu—Đấng ban vô úy cho kẻ đang sợ hãi?”

Word by Word

• कथम्: how?
• कथम्: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (interrogative adverb)

• दैत्य: O Daitya (demon)
• दैत्य: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दैत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

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

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle; emphasis/indeed)

• अस्मिन्: in this
• अस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन

• रौद्रे: terrible
• रौद्रे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रौद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying युगे)

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

• कलिसंज्ञके: called ‘Kali’
• कलिसंज्ञके: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कलि (प्रातिपदिक) + संज्ञक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (कलिः यस्य संज्ञा) / ‘named Kali’; विशेषणम् (qualifying युगे)

• भविष्यामः: shall we be / shall we survive
• भविष्यामः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), बहुवचन

• विना: without
• विना: Sambandha (Exclusion/वियोग)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विना (अव्यय)
• Form: उपपद-अव्यय (preposition)

• विष्णुम्: Vishnu
• विष्णुम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; ‘विना’ इत्युपपदेन द्वितीया

• भीतानाम्: of the frightened
• भीतानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भीत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √भी)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन; भूतपूर्व-कृदन्त (past participle)

• अभयप्रदम्: giver of fearlessness
• अभयप्रदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अभय (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रद (प्रातिपदिक; √दा)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; चतुर्थी-तत्पुरुषः (अभयम् प्रददाति) ‘giver of fearlessness’; विशेषणम् (qualifying विष्णुम्)

Speaker

Ṛṣis (Sages)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: frame-sages

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sages speak with anxious expressions, hands raised in questioning; the atmosphere darkens symbolically to represent Kali; a distant icon of Viṣṇu or a conch-disc emblem signifies the sought refuge.

Characters & Entities

• Prahlāda
• Kali
• Viṣṇu

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In Kali’s turbulence, fearlessness is found by turning toward Viṣṇu, the ultimate protector.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The question anticipates the revelation of Viṣṇu’s abiding place—contextually connected to Dvārakā.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is stated; the emphasis is on seeking Viṣṇu’s shelter.