Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

तानि सर्वाणि भीतानि प्रविष्टानि रसातलम् । तीर्थानि मुनिशार्दूलाः पापे ह्यत्र कलौ युगे

Transliteration

tāni sarvāṇi bhītāni praviṣṭāni rasātalam | tīrthāni muniśārdūlāḥ pāpe hyatra kalau yuge

Translation

“那些圣渡处（tīrtha）全都因恐惧而潜入罗萨塔拉（Rasātala），噢，如虎般的圣贤啊；因为在此迦梨时代，罪业在这里占了上风。”

Word by Word

• तानि: those (things)
• तानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम-रूप (pronoun)

• सर्वाणि: all
• सर्वाणि: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषण (adjective)

• भीतानि: frightened
• भीतानि: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भीत (कृदन्त; √भी (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि/भूतकालिक विशेषण (past participle used adjectivally)

• प्रविष्टानि: entered
• प्रविष्टानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रविष्ट (कृदन्त; प्र-√विश् (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle)

• रसातलम्: Rasātala (netherworld)
• रसातलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रसातल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः—रस + अतल (तत्पुरुष)

• तीर्थानि: holy places (tīrthas)
• तीर्थानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• मुनिशार्दूलाः: O tigers among sages
• मुनिशार्दूलाः: Sambodhana/Address (सम्बोधनार्थ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि + शार्दूल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; समासः—मुनि-शार्दूल (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘मुनिषु शार्दूलाः’)

• पापे: in sin
• पापे: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• हि: indeed
• हि: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अव्यय; बलार्थ/निश्चयार्थ (indeed)

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

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

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

Speaker

Sūta

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: muniśārdūla-s / dvija-s (sages/brāhmaṇas)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Personified tīrthas—radiant river-goddesses and shrine-deities—flee downward into the netherworld (Rasātala) as a dark Kali-yuga haze spreads over the earth; sages watch in grief.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Tīrthas
• Rasātala
• Kali Yuga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When adharma increases, sacredness is veiled; the verse urges inner purification and renewed dharma so that tīrtha-grace becomes accessible again.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not a specific site; it speaks collectively of tīrthas withdrawing to Rasātala in Kali Yuga.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is stated; the implied remedy is dhārmic living to counteract pāpa in Kali Yuga.