Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 37

Devanagari script

वरं मरणमेवास्तु मा जरास्त्वतिशोच्यकृत् । क्षणं दुःखं च मरणं जरा दुःखं क्षणेक्षणे

Transliteration

varaṃ maraṇamevāstu mā jarāstvatiśocyakṛt | kṣaṇaṃ duḥkhaṃ ca maraṇaṃ jarā duḥkhaṃ kṣaṇekṣaṇe

Translation

Better let there be death alone; let old age not bring excessive misery. Death is sorrow for a moment, but old age is sorrow at every moment.

Word by Word

• वरम्: better
• वरम्: Modifier (प्राधान्य)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययप्रयोगः (predicative adverb: better/preferable)

• मरणम्: death
• मरणम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• एव: alone, indeed
• एव: Modifier (अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय

• अस्तु: let it be
• अस्तु: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative/benedictive sense), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदम्

• मा: do not
• मा: Modifier (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मा (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-निपात (prohibitive particle)

• जरा: old age
• जरा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जरा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• तु: but
• तु: Modifier (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/विशेषार्थक-निपात (particle: but/indeed)

• अतिशोच्यकृत्: causing extreme sorrow
• अतिशोच्यकृत्: Modifier (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अति (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + शोच्य (शुच् धातु → शोच्य, कृदन्त) + कृत् (कृ धातु → कृत्, कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-समासार्थः (अतिशोच्यं करोति इति = causing excessive grief); used as predicate adjective of जरा

• क्षणम्: a moment
• क्षणम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; here: प्रथमा (as subject-equative)

• दुःखम्: sorrow
• दुःखम्: Predicate (विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुःख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; here: प्रथमा (predicate noun)

• च: and
• च: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction: and)

• मरणम्: death
• मरणम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• जरा: old age
• जरा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जरा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• दुःखम्: sorrow
• दुःखम्: Predicate (विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुःख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• क्षणेक्षणे: at every moment
• क्षणेक्षणे: Modifier (कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्षण (प्रातिपदिक) + क्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समासः; सप्तमी-एकवचन-आधारित अव्ययार्थः (क्षणे क्षणे = at every moment)

Speaker

Skanda (narrating; lament voiced in the episode’s reflection)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A stark moral image: an aged figure burdened by time (jarā personified as a shadow) contrasted with a peaceful funeral pyre at a Kāśī ghat, suggesting death’s brevity versus aging’s prolonged suffering.

Characters & Entities

• Maraṇa (death)
• Jarā (old age)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Recognizing impermanence and the pains of decline pushes one toward timely spiritual practice rather than postponement.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is thematic rather than topographical, situated within the Kāśī Vṛddhāditya episode.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; it functions as an ethical-spiritual exhortation toward urgency in practice.