Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

यद्वत्पर्वतसंजाता नदी च क्षणभंगुरा । पुत्राः कलत्राणि च वा ये चान्ये बांधवादयः

Transliteration

yadvatparvatasaṃjātā nadī ca kṣaṇabhaṃgurā | putrāḥ kalatrāṇi ca vā ye cānye bāṃdhavādayaḥ

Translation

Wie ein Fluss, der aus dem Gebirge entspringt, nur einen Augenblick währt und zerbrechlich ist, so sind auch Söhne, Gattin und alle übrigen Verwandten und Bindungen vergänglich.

Word by Word

• यद्वत्: just as
• यद्वत्: Upamāna-dyotaka (Comparative marker/उपमान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यद्वत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमानार्थक (comparative ‘just as’)

• पर्वतसंजाता: arisen from a mountain
• पर्वतसंजाता: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर्वत + संजात (√जन् धातु, क्त) (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त ‘संजात’; तत्पुरुषः (पर्वतात् संजाता)

• नदी: a river
• नदी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नदी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

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

• क्षणभंगुरा: momentary; quickly perishing
• क्षणभंगुरा: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्षण + भंगुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (क्षणेन भंगुरा = perishable in a moment)

• पुत्राः: sons
• पुत्राः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• कलत्राणि: wives/spouses
• कलत्राणि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कलत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

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

• वा: or
• वा: Vikalpa (Alternative/विकल्प)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्पार्थक (disjunctive ‘or/and so on’)

• ये: who/which
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

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

• अन्ये: other
• अन्ये: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• बांधवादयः: relatives and the like
• बांधवादयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बान्धव + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (बान्धवाः आदयः = relatives and others)

Speaker

Unknown (seeker describing saṃsāra’s transience)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: tirtha

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A river rushes from mountain source, sparkling yet swiftly passing; in the foreground, the seeker gestures toward the river while speaking of the fleeting nature of family ties.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Worldly relationships are transient; seeing their fragility supports dispassion and the pursuit of lasting spiritual refuge.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; it serves as a renunciatory reflection within a tīrtha-focused chapter.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual instruction appears here.