Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 7

Devanagari script

अकस्मादेवयत्काले मृत्युः सन्निहितो भवेत् । चिंतनीयः प्रयत्नेन स कालो मृत्युभीरुणा

Transliteration

akasmādevayatkāle mṛtyuḥ sannihito bhavet | ciṃtanīyaḥ prayatnena sa kālo mṛtyubhīruṇā

Translation

Lorsque la Mort s’approche soudain, cet instant doit être médité avec soin et effort par celui qui craint la mort, afin d’agir avec droiture et de ne pas être pris au dépourvu.

Word by Word

• अकस्मात्: suddenly
• अकस्मात्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अकस्मात् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb: suddenly)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphasis)

• यत्: which
• यत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध (relative: ‘which’)

• काले: at the time
• काले: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन

• मृत्युः: death
• मृत्युः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृत्यु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• सन्निहितः: present/close at hand
• सन्निहितः: Karta-predicative (Predicate/विशेष्य-विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-नि-धा (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘present/nearby’

• भवेत्: may be/should be
• भवेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative/विधिलिङ्), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• चिन्तनीयः: should be contemplated
• चिन्तनीयः: Karta-predicative (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: चिन्त् (धातु)
• Form: तव्यत्/अनीयर्-अर्थक (gerundive), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘to be contemplated’

• प्रयत्नेन: with effort
• प्रयत्नेन: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रयत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन

• सः: that
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• कालः: time
• कालः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• मृत्यु-भीरुणा: by one who fears death
• मृत्यु-भीरुणा: Karana (Instrument/Agent/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृत्यु (प्रातिपदिक) + भीरु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; तृतीया-समर्थ (agent/instrument); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (मृत्योः भीरुः)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim standing at Pañcagaṅgā-ghāṭa (or a generic Kāśī ghāṭa), hands folded, contemplating mortality; behind, a procession of pilgrims continues—life moving as he chooses mindful action.

Characters & Entities

• Mṛtyu

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Contemplation of mortality is meant to awaken urgency for dharma and devotion, transforming fear into disciplined spiritual practice.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is the overarching sacred landscape of this discourse, celebrated as a place where mindful preparation culminates in liberation.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific ritual is named; the instruction is ethical-spiritual: deliberate reflection and purposeful effort.