Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

लोमश उवाच । मर्तव्यमस्त्यवश्यं च काय एष पतिष्यति । कस्यार्थे क्रियते गेहमनित्यभवमध्यगैः

Transliteration

lomaśa uvāca | martavyamastyavaśyaṃ ca kāya eṣa patiṣyati | kasyārthe kriyate gehamanityabhavamadhyagaiḥ

Translation

Lomaśa dit : La mort est inévitable, et ce corps tombera à coup sûr. Pour qui donc bâtit-on une maison, lorsque l’on se tient au milieu d’une existence impermanente ?

Word by Word

• लोमशः: Lomaśa (sage)
• लोमशः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोमश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• उवाच: said/spoke
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• मर्तव्यम्: must die / death is inevitable
• मर्तव्यम्: Pradhana-bhava (Predicative/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मृ (धातु) + तव्य (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; तव्यत्-कृदन्त (gerundive/obligatory)

• अस्ति: is/exists
• अस्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• अवश्यम्: certainly/inevitably
• अवश्यम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अवश्य (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययीभावार्थ)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

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

• कायः: body
• कायः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• एषः: this
• एषः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• पतिष्यति: will fall/perish
• पतिष्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पत् (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• कस्य: of whom/for whose
• कस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक

• अर्थे: for the sake/purpose
• अर्थे: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; प्रयोजनार्थे (in the sense of purpose)

• क्रियते: is made/done
• क्रियते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद (passive sense: is done/made)

• गेहम्: house
• गेहम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गेह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• अनित्यभवमध्यगैः: by those dwelling amid impermanent worldly existence
• अनित्यभवमध्यगैः: Kartr-sahacara (Agent-associated/कर्तृसहचर)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनित्य (प्रातिपदिक) + भव (प्रातिपदिक) + मध्य (प्रातिपदिक) + ग (गम्-धातु; क्तिन्/कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; समासः (अनित्यस्य भवस्य मध्ये गाः = those who have gone/are situated in the midst of impermanent existence)

Speaker

Lomaśa

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Lomaśa ṛṣi addresses listeners: a stark contrast between a fragile human body and a newly built house, underscoring impermanence.

Characters & Entities

• Lomaśa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Remembering death (maraṇa-smṛti) cuts attachment and redirects life toward lasting dharma and liberation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is named; the verse is a general dharma-teaching supporting renunciation.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; it implicitly recommends detachment and austerity rather than construction and accumulation.