Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 102

Devanagari script

जपहोमप्रदानैश्च कालमृत्युर्न शाम्यति । विविधा व्याधयः शस्ताः सर्पाद्याः प्राणिनस्तथा

Transliteration

japahomapradānaiśca kālamṛtyurna śāmyati | vividhā vyādhayaḥ śastāḥ sarpādyāḥ prāṇinastathā

Translation

Even by japa, homa, and charitable gifts, death that comes by Time does not subside. Many kinds of diseases, wounds by weapons, and creatures such as serpents too serve as causes leading to death.

Word by Word

• जपहोमप्रदानैः: by japa, homa, and gifts
• जपहोमप्रदानैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जप (प्रातिपदिक) + होम (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रदान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; समाहार-द्वन्द्व (जप-होम-प्रदानानि) तृतीया-बहुवचन; करण

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चयबोधक conjunction)

• कालमृत्युः: death due to time (inevitable death)
• कालमृत्युः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक) + मृत्यु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (कालस्य मृत्युḥ / कालरूपः मृत्युḥ)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निषेध particle)

• शाम्यति: is pacified/subsides
• शाम्यति: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √शम् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• विविधाः: various
• विविधाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विविध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषण

• व्याधयः: diseases
• व्याधयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्याधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• शस्ताः: are declared/considered (as)
• शस्ताः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √शंस्/√शस् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/स्त्रीलिङ्ग प्रथमा, बहुवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; 'commended/approved' (here: 'recognized as')

• सर्पाद्याः: beginning with snakes, etc.
• सर्पाद्याः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्प (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष (सर्पः आदिः येषाम्) = 'beginning with snakes'

• प्राणिनः: living beings
• प्राणिनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राणिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• तथा: likewise/also
• तथा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (उपमान/समुच्चयार्थ adverb: 'likewise/also')

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) (deduced from Māheśvara-khaṇḍa context)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A teaching tableau showing ritual acts (japa beads, homa fire, dāna) on one side, and the looming figure of Kāla with a wheel/hourglass on the other; below, vignettes of disease, weapon injury, and serpent encounter as secondary causes.

Characters & Entities

• Kāla

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual merit is valuable, yet the time-appointed end cannot be postponed; therefore one should pursue dharma with urgency and right understanding.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is praised in this verse; it is a general doctrinal statement about Kāla and mortality.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Japa (mantra repetition), homa (fire oblations), and pradāna/dāna (giving) are named, though the verse states they do not avert kāla-mṛtyu.