Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 104
स्वस्थीकर्तुं न शक्नोति कालप्राप्तं हि देहिनम् । नैषधं न तपो मंत्रा न मित्राणि न बांधवाः
svasthīkartuṃ na śaknoti kālaprāptaṃ hi dehinam | naiṣadhaṃ na tapo maṃtrā na mitrāṇi na bāṃdhavāḥ
إذا حضر الأجلُ المعيَّن لصاحب الجسد، فلا شيء يقدر أن يعيده إلى العافية—لا دواء، ولا تَقَشُّفٌ (تَبَس)، ولا مَنترَات، ولا أصدقاء، ولا حتى الأقارب.
Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages
Scene: A poignant scene: a dying person on a cot; medicine bowl, mantra-reciter, ascetic, friends and relatives gathered—yet a subtle Kāla presence indicates inevitability; the mood is compassionate and sober.
FAQs
Destined death cannot be averted by worldly supports; therefore one should prioritize Dharma and inner realization without delay.
No specific Tīrtha is named in this verse; it functions as a general Purāṇic teaching within the Kaumārikākhaṇḍa narrative.
No direct rite is prescribed here; the verse negates reliance on medicine, tapas, and mantras as means to stop destined death.