Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 80

Devanagari script

प्राणिनं काल संदष्टमपि मृत्युवशंगतम् । प्रकरिष्यति जीवाढ्यं प्रक्षिप्य वदने स्वयम्

Transliteration

prāṇinaṃ kāla saṃdaṣṭamapi mṛtyuvaśaṃgatam | prakariṣyati jīvāḍhyaṃ prakṣipya vadane svayam

Translation

Selbst ein Lebewesen, das schon von Kāla, der Zeit, gebissen und der Macht des Todes verfallen ist, wird diese dreisilbige Mantra, in den Mund gelegt, wiederherstellen und mit Leben erfüllen.

Word by Word

• prāṇinam: a living being/person
• prāṇinam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prāṇin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्म (object)

• kāla: by Time (Death)
• kāla: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; करण/हेतु-भावे (by time/death)

• saṃdaṣṭam: bitten, seized
• saṃdaṣṭam: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: saṃ-√daṃś (धातु) (कृदन्त)
• Form: कर्मणि क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; prāṇinam इति विशेषण

• api: even though
• api: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अपि-कारक (even/although)

• mṛtyuvaśaṃgatam: fallen under death’s control
• mṛtyuvaśaṃgatam: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mṛtyu (प्रातिपदिक) + vaśa (प्रातिपदिक) + gata (कृदन्त; √gam (धातु) से)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष: मृत्योः वशं गतः (gone under the control of death); prāṇinam इति विशेषण

• prakariṣyati: will make/bring about
• prakariṣyati: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√kṛ (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• jīvāḍhyam: full of life, vital
• jīvāḍhyam: Karma (Object complement/कर्मपूरक)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: jīva (प्रातिपदिक) + āḍhya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्मधारय: जीवैः आढ्यः/जीवसमृद्धः (rich in life = full of vitality); prāṇinam इति परिणाम-विशेषण

• prakṣipya: having put/inserted
• prakṣipya: Kriya (Non-finite verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√kṣip (धातु) (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययभाव (gerund); पूर्वकाले कृत्य (having thrown/put)

• vadane: in the mouth
• vadane: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vadana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; अधिकरण (locative)

• svayam: oneself
• svayam: Sambandha (Agent emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: svayam (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; आत्मवाचक (reflexive adverb: 'oneself')

Speaker

Śiva (Vṛṣabhadhvaja)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Nāgara (mantra-mahātmya within tīrtha narrative)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A dying person lies pale; a brāhmaṇa leans close, administering mantra—either whispered into the mouth or via drops of mantra-charged water—while Time (Kāla) is symbolically shown retreating; life returns as a soft glow.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Vṛṣabhadhvaja
• Kāla
• Mṛtyu

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva’s mantra is portrayed as life-restoring and fate-overcoming, affirming the purāṇic theme that divine remembrance and mantra-japa can reverse calamity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader passage belongs to the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra narrative within the Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Mantra-usage is emphasized—placing/uttering the mantra (japa/smaraṇa) as an immediate protective act.