Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

संपूर्णोद्रियगात्रा यन्मर्तुमिच्छंति वै वृथा । मुहूर्ताद्ध्यत्र खट्वांगो मोक्षमार्गमुपागतः

Transliteration

saṃpūrṇodriyagātrā yanmartumicchaṃti vai vṛthā | muhūrtāddhyatra khaṭvāṃgo mokṣamārgamupāgataḥ

Translation

Obwohl Sinne und Glieder unversehrt sind, wünschen die Menschen dennoch zu sterben—wahrlich vergebens. Denn hier gelangte Khaṭvāṅga in nur einem Augenblick auf den Pfad der Befreiung.

Word by Word

• संपूर्ण-इन्द्रिय-गात्राः: those whose senses and limbs are intact
• संपूर्ण-इन्द्रिय-गात्राः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: संपूर्ण (प्रातिपदिक) + इन्द्रिय (प्रातिपदिक) + गात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (इन्द्रियैः गात्रैः च संपूर्णाः)

• यत्: who (that)
• यत्: Clause linker
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सम्बन्धबोधक अव्यय (relative particle) — ‘who/that’

• मर्तुम्: to die
• मर्तुम्: Kriyā-artha (Purpose/complement)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मृ (धातु) + तुमुन् (प्रत्यय)
• Form: तुमुनन्त कृदन्त (infinitive), ‘to die’

• इच्छन्ति: desire
• इच्छन्ति: Kriyā (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: इष्/इच्छ् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• वै: indeed
• वै: Discourse particle
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चय/अनुनासिक अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• वृथा: in vain, uselessly
• वृथा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वृथा (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण अव्यय (adverb)

• मुहूर्तात्: from/after a moment
• मुहूर्तात्: Apādāna (Ablative: from/after)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुहूर्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), एकवचन

• हि: indeed, for
• हि: Discourse particle
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: हेतौ/निश्चये अव्यय (particle: for/indeed)

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikaraṇa (Locative sense)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (locative adverb)

• खट्वाङ्गः: Khaṭvāṅga
• खट्वाङ्गः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: खट्वाङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन (proper name)

• मोक्षमार्गम्: the path to liberation
• मोक्षमार्गम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मोक्ष (प्रातिपदिक) + मार्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (मोक्षस्य मार्गः)

• उपागतः: has attained, has reached
• उपागतः: Kriyā (Predicative participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप + गम् (धातु) + क्त (प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृदन्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘having reached/attained’

Speaker

The boy

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A teaching moment: the speaker points to the sacred ground while recounting Khaṭvāṅga’s momentary awakening; a faint vision of the king renouncing appears as a narrative vignette.

Characters & Entities

• Khaṭvāṅga
• mokṣa (liberation)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Do not waste life in despair; even a short time, used rightly, can open the mokṣa-mārga—Khaṭvāṅga is cited as proof.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is explicitly praised in this verse; “atra” functions contextually rather than naming a pilgrimage site.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is prescribed; the verse recommends a shift from death-wish to liberation-oriented practice and discernment.