Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 43

Devanagari script

निमेषान्पंचपान्मर्त्ये प्राणंति प्राणिनो ध्रुवम् । तत्रापि न प्रवर्तेयुरघकर्मणि गर्हिते

Transliteration

nimeṣānpaṃcapānmartye prāṇaṃti prāṇino dhruvam | tatrāpi na pravarteyuraghakarmaṇi garhite

Translation

Im sterblichen Bereich leben die Wesen gewiss nur für eine Handvoll Lidschläge; dennoch sollten sie sich nicht in verwerfliche, sündhafte Taten einlassen.

Word by Word

• निमेषान्: moments (blinks)
• निमेषान्: Karma (Extent/measure object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निमेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Masculine, Accusative, Plural)

• पञ्च: five
• पञ्च: Visheshana (Numeral modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्च (संख्यावाचक-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् संख्याशब्दः; द्वितीया-बहुवचनार्थे विशेषण (numeral adjective qualifying ‘निमेषान्’)

• पान्: (uncertain; possibly ‘steps/parts’)
• पान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प (प्रातिपदिक; ‘प’ = पाद/पण?; पाठभेद-संशय)
• Form: द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; पाठे ‘पान्’ अस्पष्टः—सम्भाव्यः ‘पादान्’/‘परान्’ इत्यादि; अर्थनिर्णय कठिन (Accusative, Plural; uncertain reading)

• मर्त्ये: in the mortal world/among mortals
• मर्त्ये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मर्त्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन (Masculine, Locative, Singular)

• प्राणन्ति: they live/breathe
• प्राणन्ति: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √प्राण् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन (Present, Parasmaipada, 3rd person, Plural)

• प्राणिनः: living beings
• प्राणिनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राणिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Plural)

• ध्रुवम्: certainly
• ध्रुवम्: Kriyavisheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ध्रुव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावेन क्रियाविशेषणवत् (indeclinable adverbial use: certainly)

• तत्र: there/in that (life)
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Adverbial location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Emphasis (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपवाद-निपात (particle: even/also)

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

• प्रवर्तेयुः: they should engage
• प्रवर्तेयुः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-√वृत् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन (Optative, Ātmanepada, 3rd person, Plural)

• अघकर्मणि: in sinful action
• अघकर्मणि: Adhikarana (Domain/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अघ (प्रातिपदिक) + कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन (Neuter, Locative, Singular)

• गर्हिते: blameworthy
• गर्हिते: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √गर्ह् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (PPP; Neuter, Locative, Singular; adjective)

Speaker

Dharmarāja (Yama)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis / pilgrims as implied audience

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A symbolic depiction of fleeting time: a human life shown as a short garland of ‘blinks’ (nimēṣa) while Kāla’s shadow looms; a pilgrim turns away from a sinful act toward the river and a shrine.

Characters & Entities

• Dharmarāja (Yama)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Because life is extremely short, one should not waste it on censurable actions; dharma must be chosen immediately.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific site is named; the ethical teaching is delivered within the Kāśīkhaṇḍa’s Kāśī milieu.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is specified; the practical instruction is to refrain from sinful conduct (agha-karma).