Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

षण्मासमृत्योर्मर्त्यस्य कंठोष्ठरसना रदाः । शुष्यंति सततं तद्वद्विच्छायास्तालुपंचमाः

Transliteration

ṣaṇmāsamṛtyormartyasya kaṃṭhoṣṭharasanā radāḥ | śuṣyaṃti satataṃ tadvadvicchāyāstālupaṃcamāḥ

Translation

For a mortal who is to die within six months, the throat, lips, tongue, and teeth continually dry up; likewise the palate, as the fifth, becomes lusterless and loses its natural shade.

Word by Word

• षण्मासमृत्योः: of (one) whose death is in six months
• षण्मासमृत्योः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: षण् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + मास (प्रातिपदिक) + मृत्यु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (षण्मासस्य मृत्यु: षण्मासमृत्यु)

• मर्त्यस्य: of the mortal/man
• मर्त्यस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मर्त्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• कण्ठ: throat
• कण्ठ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कण्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (समाहार-द्वन्द्वे पूर्वपद)

• ओष्ठ: lip
• ओष्ठ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ओष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (समाहार-द्वन्द्वे मध्यपद)

• रसना: tongue
• रसना: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रसना (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (समाहार-द्वन्द्वे मध्यपद)

• रदाः: teeth
• रदाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• शुष्यन्ति: dry up
• शुष्यन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: शुष् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन

• सततम्: constantly
• सततम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सततम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• तद्वत्: likewise
• तद्वत्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद्वत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, उपमानार्थ (comparative adverb: 'likewise')

• विच्छायाः: pale/without luster
• विच्छायाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि (उपसर्ग) + छाया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषण (छाया-रहिताः)

• तालु: palate
• तालु: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तालु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (समाहार-द्वन्द्वे पूर्वपद)

• पञ्चमाः: as the fifth (set)
• पञ्चमाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्चम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषण (पञ्चम-स्थान/पञ्चम-गण)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣi-audience (generic)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Close depiction of a person with parched throat and lips, tongue and teeth dry, palate dull—set against the humid Gaṅgā ghāṭ, emphasizing the paradox of inner dryness amid sacred waters; a priest offers water and bilva leaves toward a liṅga.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The body’s decline is a Dharma-teacher: it reminds one to prioritize spiritual practice over complacency.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is the overarching sacred geography in this section; this verse itself is an omen-list within that Kāśī narrative frame.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is stated; it continues the catalogue of death-portents.