Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

श्रुतयापि यया मर्त्यो दीर्घायुर्जायतेनरः । नापमृत्युमवाप्नोति कथंचित्तत्प्रभावतः

Transliteration

śrutayāpi yayā martyo dīrghāyurjāyatenaraḥ | nāpamṛtyumavāpnoti kathaṃcittatprabhāvataḥ

Translation

ইয়াক কেৱল শ্ৰৱণ কৰিলেই মর্ত্য মানুহ দীঘলীয়া আয়ু লাভ কৰে; ইয়াৰ প্ৰভাৱত সি কোনো মতে অকাল-মৃত্যুৰ মুখামুখি নহয়।

Word by Word

• श्रुतया: by hearing
• श्रुतया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रुति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/instrumental), एकवचन — ‘by hearing/through hearing’

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (सम्भावना/समुच्चय) — ‘even/also’

• यया: by which
• यया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/instrumental), एकवचन — ‘by which’ (refers to कथा/श्रुति)

• मर्त्यः: a mortal
• मर्त्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मर्त्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/nominative), एकवचन — ‘a mortal’

• दीर्घायुḥ: long-lived
• दीर्घायुḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दीर्घायु (प्रातिपदिक; दीर्घ + आयुस्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/nominative), एकवचन — विशेषण ‘long-lived’ (qualifying नरः)

• जायते: becomes
• जायते: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन, आत्मनेपद — ‘is born/becomes’

• नरः: man
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/nominative), एकवचन — ‘man’

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निषेध-निपात) — negation ‘not’

• अपमृत्युम्: untimely death
• अपमृत्युम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अपमृत्यु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/accusative), एकवचन — ‘untimely death’

• अवाप्नोति: attains
• अवाप्नोति: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव + आप् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद — ‘attains/gets’

• कथंचित्: in any way, at all
• कथंचित्: Sambandha (Adverbial/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथंचित् (अव्यय; कथम् + चित्)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण) — ‘somehow/at all’

• तत्: of that
• तत्: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/genitive), एकवचन — ‘of that’ (qualifying प्रभावतः)

• प्रभावतः: due to (its) power
• प्रभावतः: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभाव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/ablative), एकवचन — ‘due to the power/effect’

Speaker

Sūta

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: munis (sages) / audience addressed as ‘martyas’ in general phala-śruti sense

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sage recites a tīrtha-māhātmya to attentive listeners; a subtle aura of protection surrounds them, symbolizing long life and the warding off of apamṛtyu.

Characters & Entities

• Śravaṇa (hearing)
• Apamṛtyu (untimely death)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred listening (śravaṇa) itself is a dharmic act that yields protection and longevity when the subject is a tīrtha-māhātmya.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The tīrtha connected to the forthcoming narrative; its greatness is emphasized through the promised fruit of hearing.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Śravaṇa—devotional hearing of the māhātmya—is implied as a practice conferring merit and protection.