Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 53

Devanagari script

आयुष्यं च भविष्यं च सर्वमेव वृथागतम् । अतोहं सफलीकर्तुं मानुष्यं चातिचंचलम्

Transliteration

āyuṣyaṃ ca bhaviṣyaṃ ca sarvameva vṛthāgatam | atohaṃ saphalīkartuṃ mānuṣyaṃ cāticaṃcalam

Translation

„Lebensspanne und Zukunft — alles vergeht vergebens. Darum will ich, um dieses überaus schwankende Menschenleben fruchtbar zu machen, entsprechend handeln.“

Word by Word

• आयुष्यं: life-span
• आयुष्यं: Karta/Topic (कर्ता/विषय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आयुष्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• भविष्यं: future
• भविष्यं: Karta/Topic (कर्ता/विषय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भविष्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय

• सर्वम्: everything
• सर्वम्: Karta/Topic (कर्ता/विषय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘everything’

• एव: indeed / only
• एव: Emphasis (अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (emphasis/only)

• वृथा: in vain
• वृथा: Adverbial (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वृथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण

• आगतम्: has come / has been obtained
• आगतम्: Predicate (विशेषण-प्रधान)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ + गम् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त; क्त (past participle) नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘arrived/obtained’

• अतः: therefore
• अतः: Logical connector (हेतु-फल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तस्मात्-अर्थक (therefore)

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; प्रथमा, एकवचन

• सफलीकर्तुम्: to make fruitful
• सफलीकर्तुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सफल (प्रातिपदिक) + कृ (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन् (infinitive) अव्यय; ‘to make fruitful/successful’

• मानुष्यं: human life/birth
• मानुष्यं: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मानुष्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय

• अतिचञ्चलम्: very fickle
• अतिचञ्चलम्: Karma qualifier (कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अति (अव्यय/उपसर्ग) + चञ्चल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः (कर्मधारय/उपपद-समासवत्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (मानुष्यं)

Speaker

Tapasvī (ascetic guide)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (implied as the life-fructifying goal)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Internal story addressee (not specified)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A reflective pause: the speaker contemplates the fleeting nature of lifespan and resolves to make life fruitful by decisive action toward Kāśī.

Characters & Entities

• Human life (mānuṣya)
• Impermanence (ati-caṃcala)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Recognize impermanence and deliberately pursue what makes life meaningful—traditionally, dharma and liberation-oriented action.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is implied as the chosen means to ‘make life fruitful,’ continuing the immediate context of Kāśī-prāpti.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is an ethical-spiritual resolve grounded in the fleeting nature of life.