Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

तस्माद्युद्धेन मरणं न कांक्षे क्षणभंगुरम् । अन्यजन्मनि मे वीर वैरभावान्न संशयः । दातुमर्हसि मे नाथ कैवल्यं केवलं परम्

Transliteration

tasmādyuddhena maraṇaṃ na kāṃkṣe kṣaṇabhaṃguram | anyajanmani me vīra vairabhāvānna saṃśayaḥ | dātumarhasi me nātha kaivalyaṃ kevalaṃ param

Translation

Darum begehre ich nicht den Tod im Kampf, der nur einen Augenblick währt und vergeht. In einer anderen Geburt, o Held, wird in mir gewiss wieder Feindsinn aufsteigen, ohne Zweifel. So gewähre mir, o Herr, das höchste, einzig reine Kaivalya, die endgültige Befreiung.

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावार्थे पञ्चमी-रूपम्; हेत्वर्थक (ablatival adverb: 'therefore/from that')

• युद्धेन: by battle
• युद्धेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• मरणम्: death
• मरणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• न: not
• न: Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation particle)

• काङ्क्षे: I desire
• काङ्क्षे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: काङ्क्ष् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन (Singular); परस्मैपद

• क्षणभङ्गुरम्: momentary, perishable
• क्षणभङ्गुरम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्षण + भङ्गुर (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); षष्ठी/सप्तमी-तत्पुरुषार्थे (kṣaṇa-bhaṅgura: 'fragile in a moment')

• अन्यजन्मनि: in another birth
• अन्यजन्मनि: Adhikarana (Location/time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्य + जन्मन् (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• मे: my
• मे: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• वीर: O hero
• वीर: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वीर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

• वैरभावात्: from enmity (hostile disposition)
• वैरभावात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैर + भाव (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (Ablative/5th), एकवचन (Singular)

• न: not
• न: Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation particle)

• संशयः: doubt
• संशयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संशय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• दातुम्: to give
• दातुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (infinitive); क्रियार्थक (to give)

• अर्हसि: you ought / are worthy
• अर्हसि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अर्ह् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन (Singular); परस्मैपद

• मे: to me
• मे: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: चतुर्थी (Dative/4th), एकवचन (Singular)

• नाथ: O lord
• नाथ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

• कैवल्यम्: liberation (kaivalya)
• कैवल्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कैवल्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• केवलम्: alone, pure
• केवलम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: केवल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• परम्: supreme
• परम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Kālanemi

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis / tīrtha-śravaṇa audience

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A supplicant (even an asura/warrior figure) rejects battlefield death and folds hands before the Lord, pleading for pure kaivalya; the battlefield fades behind, replaced by a serene Himalayan sanctum aura.

Characters & Entities

• Kālanemi
• Kaivalya (liberation)
• Viṣṇu (addressed as Nātha, implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Temporary rewards (even heroic death) do not end rebirth; liberation (kaivalya) is the lasting goal beyond recurring enmity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kedārakhaṇḍa setting frames the teaching within Kedāra-kṣetra’s sacred narrative environment.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is prescribed; it is a direct petition for mokṣa/kaivalya.