Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 27

Devanagari script

लोमश उवाच । प्रतिकल्पं मच्छरीरादेकरोमपरिक्षयः । जायते सर्वनाशे च मम भावि प्रमापणम्

Transliteration

lomaśa uvāca | pratikalpaṃ maccharīrādekaromaparikṣayaḥ | jāyate sarvanāśe ca mama bhāvi pramāpaṇam

Translation

Lomaśa sprach: „In jedem Kalpa fällt von meinem Körper nur ein einziges Haar aus. Wenn alle erschöpft sind, wird mein Untergang—mein Tod—eintreten.“

Word by Word

• लोमशः: Lomaśa
• लोमशः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोमश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• प्रतिकल्पम्: in each kalpa
• प्रतिकल्पम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रतिकल्प (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास (प्रति + कल्प), क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• मत्: my
• मत्: Shashthi-sambandha (Possessor/षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन; एतत् ‘मत्’ रूपेण (enclitic)

• शरीरात्: from (my) body
• शरीरात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शरीर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन

• एकरोमपरिक्षयः: the loss of a single hair
• एकरोमपरिक्षयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एक + रोम + परिक्षय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—एकस्य रोम्णः परिक्षयः (loss of one hair)

• जायते: arises/happens
• जायते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद

• सर्वनाशे: at the total destruction
• सर्वनाशे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्वनाश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; समासः—सर्वस्य नाशः (total destruction)

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

• मम: of me/my
• मम: Shashthi-sambandha (Possessor/षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• भावि: future/impending
• भावि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: शतृ/शानच्-प्रत्ययार्थे भविष्यदर्थक-विशेषण (future-oriented adjectival form), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘भविष्यत्’ अर्थे (that which is to be)

• प्रमापणम्: death/termination
• प्रमापणम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्र + मा (धातु) + पण (प्रातिपदिक-निर्माण)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; भाववाचक (act/state noun)

Speaker

Lomaśa

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Indradyumna (within Nārada’s narration context)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The sage Lomaśa, extremely aged yet radiant, explains a strange law of his lifespan: one hair falls each kalpa; the scene emphasizes cosmic time with symbolic motifs (wheel of time, fading hairs).

Characters & Entities

• Lomaśa
• Kalpa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even extraordinary lifespans remain finite; cosmic time underscores impermanence and the urgency of dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is referenced; the verse explains a cosmological measure of lifespan.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; it is a narrative explanation of Lomaśa’s longevity.