Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 45

Devanagari script

सत्वरं गत्वरं चायुर्लोकः शोकसमाकुलः । तस्माद्धर्मे मतिः कार्या भवतेव सुधार्मिकैः

Transliteration

satvaraṃ gatvaraṃ cāyurlokaḥ śokasamākulaḥ | tasmāddharme matiḥ kāryā bhavateva sudhārmikaiḥ

Translation

La vie est rapide et ne cesse de s’échapper, et le monde est accablé de chagrin. C’est pourquoi les justes doivent fixer leur esprit sur le dharma, comme tu l’as fait.

Word by Word

• सत्वरम्: swift/hasty
• सत्वरम्: Visheshana (Predicate adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सत्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (Neuter, Nominative, Singular; adjective used predicatively)

• गत्वरम्: fleeting/going away
• गत्वरम्: Visheshana (Predicate adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गत्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (Neuter, Nominative, Singular; adjective)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• आयुः: life
• आयुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आयुस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Nominative, Singular)

• लोकः: the world
• लोकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

• शोकसमाकुलः: distressed with grief
• शोकसमाकुलः: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शोक (प्रातिपदिक) + समाकुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (Masculine, Nominative, Singular; adjective)

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Cause/Source marker/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पञ्चमी-एकवचनरूपेण अव्ययवत् (ablative used adverbially: therefore/from that)

• धर्मे: in dharma/righteousness
• धर्मे: Adhikarana (Domain/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन (Masculine, Locative, Singular)

• मतिः: intention/mind
• मतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Feminine, Nominative, Singular)

• कार्या: should be made/should be directed
• कार्या: Vidhyartha (Obligation predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √कृ (धातु) + यत् (कृदन्त; कार्य)
• Form: यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (gerundive/obligatory); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (Feminine, Nominative, Singular; 'to be done')

• भवता: by you
• भवता: Karta (Agent of obligation/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भवत् (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनामवत्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Honorific; Masculine, Instrumental, Singular)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Emphasis (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphasis)

• सुधार्मिकैः: by/with the very righteous
• सुधार्मिकैः: Sahakari (Association/सहकारि)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सु- (उपसर्ग/पूर्वपद) + धार्मिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Masculine, Instrumental, Plural)

Speaker

Dharmarāja (Yama)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis / implied pilgrims

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A bustling Kāśī street/ghāṭa with visible human sorrow—aging, illness, mourning—while a group of sādhus/pilgrims sit in calm japa; dharma depicted as a steady lamp against the flow of time.

Characters & Entities

• Dharmarāja (Yama)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Since life passes rapidly and sorrow pervades the world, one should anchor the mind in dharma as the sure refuge.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse continues the Kāśīkhaṇḍa’s Kāśī-based teaching; Kāśī is the implied liberation landscape for dharmic focus.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite; it prescribes dharma-niṣṭhā—steady orientation of one’s mind and choices toward dharma.