Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

अरुंधतीं ध्रुवं चैव विष्णोस्त्रीणिपदानि च । आसन्नमृत्युर्नोपश्येच्चतुर्थं मातृमंडलम्

Transliteration

aruṃdhatīṃ dhruvaṃ caiva viṣṇostrīṇipadāni ca | āsannamṛtyurnopaśyeccaturthaṃ mātṛmaṃḍalam

Translation

Wessen Tod nahe ist, der erblickt weder Arundhatī noch Dhruva noch die drei Schritte Viṣṇus; und auch das vierte schaut er nicht: den Kreis der Mütter (Mātṛ-maṇḍala).

Word by Word

• अरुन्धतीम्: Arundhatī (star)
• अरुन्धतीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अरुन्धती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• ध्रुवम्: Dhruva (Pole Star)
• ध्रुवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ध्रुव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-निपात (emphatic particle)

• विष्णोः: of Viṣṇu
• विष्णोः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• त्रीणि: three
• त्रीणि: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रि (संख्याप्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन; संख्याविशेषण (पदानि)

• पदानि: steps/footprints
• पदानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• आसन्न-मृत्युः: one whose death is near
• आसन्न-मृत्युः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आसन्न (प्रातिपदिक) + मृत्यु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि (यस्य मृत्युः आसन्नः)

• न: not
• न: Pratiṣedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात

• उपश्येत्: should see/observe
• उपश्येत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप + दृश् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• चतुर्थम्: the fourth
• चतुर्थम्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; क्रमवाचक-विशेषण (मातृमण्डलम्)

• मातृ-मण्डलम्: the circle/cluster of the Mothers (Mātṛs)
• मातृ-मण्डलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मातृ (प्रातिपदिक) + मण्डल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra (ariṣṭa-lakṣaṇa via celestial non-perception)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Night over Kāśī: a seeker looks up but cannot perceive Arundhatī near Vasiṣṭha, cannot find Dhruva, cannot trace Viṣṇu’s three steps (Trivikrama asterism), and the protective Mātṛ-maṇḍala is absent; below, the glow of temples and the Gaṅgā suggests refuge despite failing sight.

Characters & Entities

• Arundhatī
• Dhruva
• Viṣṇu
• Mātṛs (Divine Mothers)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

As the end approaches, perception itself may alter; therefore, one should secure spiritual merit early through devotion and righteous conduct.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Within the Kāśī Khaṇḍa frame, Kāśī is the implied sacred refuge where preparation for death is oriented toward mokṣa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is prescribed; it lists astral-vision omens associated with imminent death.