Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 38

Devanagari script

अथ कालवशात्तस्याः पतिस्तीव्र रुजार्दितः । रूपयौवनकांतोपि पंचत्वमगमन्मुने

Transliteration

atha kālavaśāttasyāḥ patistīvra rujārditaḥ | rūpayauvanakāṃtopi paṃcatvamagamanmune

Translation

Then, by the force of time, her husband—afflicted with severe pain—though possessed of beauty, youth, and charm, went to the state of the five elements, O sage (i.e., he died).

Word by Word

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अनन्तरार्थक अव्यय

• कालवशात्: due to the power of time
• कालवशात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक) + वश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (कालस्य वशः; ‘under the control of time’); पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन; हेतौ (ablative of cause)

• तस्याः: of her
• तस्याः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• पतिः: husband
• पतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• तीव्र: severe
• तीव्र: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तीव्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग रूपे (here as adjective), विशेषणम्; (पाठे ‘तीव्र-’ उपपद)

• रुजा: by pain, by illness
• रुजा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुज्/रुजा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• अर्दितः: afflicted, tormented
• अर्दितः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अर्द् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying पतिः)

• रूपयौवनकान्तः: charming in beauty and youth
• रूपयौवनकान्तः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रूप (प्रातिपदिक) + यौवन (प्रातिपदिक) + कान्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (रूपेण यौवनेन च कान्तः/सुन्दरः); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying पतिः)

• अपि: even, also
• अपि: Visheshana (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपवादार्थक निपात (also/even)

• पंचत्वम्: the state of five elements (death)
• पंचत्वम्: Gati/Karma (Goal as object/गति-कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्चत्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• अगमत्: went, reached
• अगमत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/अनद्यतनभूत), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• मुने: O sage
• मुने: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator addressing a sage (muni) as listener

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: muni (sage)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A handsome young husband writhing in severe pain, then lifeless; attendants and wife in shock; subtle depiction of pañca-bhūta dissolution (earth/water/fire/air/space motifs).

Characters & Entities

• Kāla (Time)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Time overrules worldly advantages; beauty and youth cannot prevent death—encouraging detachment and dharmic living.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is referenced in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse states a doctrinal fact of impermanence under Kāla.