Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 109
Devanagari script
जनाः शतायुषः पंचभवंति न भवन्ति वा । अशीतिका विपद्यन्ते केचित्सप्ततिका नराः
Transliteration
janāḥ śatāyuṣaḥ paṃcabhavaṃti na bhavanti vā | aśītikā vipadyante kecitsaptatikā narāḥ
Translation
قد يبلغ بعضُ الناس مئةَ عامٍ—وربما زادوا أو ربما لا. فمنهم من يهلك في الثمانين، ومن الرجال من يموت حتى في السبعين.
Word by Word
janāḥpeople
janāḥ:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootjana (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन
śata-āyuṣaḥhundred-lived (living 100 years)
śata-āyuṣaḥ:
Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootśata (प्रातिपदिक) + āyus (आयुस्, प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (śatam āyuḥ yeṣām = 'having a hundred-year lifespan')
pañcafive
pañca:
Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootpañca (अव्यय/संख्याशब्द)
Formसंख्यावाचक (numeral), अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः; 'five' (qualifies years understood)
bhavantibecome/are (live)
bhavanti:
Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootbhū (भू, धातु)
Formलट्, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद
nanot
na:
Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootna (अव्यय)
Formनिषेध-निपात
bhavantiare/become
bhavanti:
Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootbhū (भू, धातु)
Formलट्, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन
vāor
vā:
Sambandha (Disjunction/विकल्प)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootvā (अव्यय)
Formविकल्पार्थक-अव्यय (disjunctive particle)
aśītikāḥthose of eighty (years)
aśītikāḥ:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootaśīti (अशीति, प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; 'eighty-year-olds' (aśītika)
vipadyanteperish/meet misfortune
vipadyante:
Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootvi-pad (वि + पद्, धातु)
Formलट्, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; आत्मनेपद
kecitsome
kecit:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootkim (किम्, प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; अनिश्चित-प्रत्यय (indefinite pronoun)
saptatikāḥthose of seventy (years)
saptatikāḥ:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootsaptati (सप्तति, प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; 'seventy-year-olds'
narāḥmen
narāḥ:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootnara (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन
Speaker
Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages
Visual Art Cues
Scene: A timeline-like procession of people at different ages—youth, middle age, elder—some abruptly falling, illustrating unpredictability of lifespan.
FAQs
Human lifespan is uncertain; therefore one should not postpone Dharma, devotion, or right living.
No Tīrtha is mentioned; the teaching is general.
None; the verse discusses variability of lifespan.