Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 112

Devanagari script

वर्षाणां विंशतिर्याति धर्मकामार्थवर्जितः । आगन्तुकैर्भवैः पुंसां व्याधिशोकैरनेकधा

Transliteration

varṣāṇāṃ viṃśatiryāti dharmakāmārthavarjitaḥ | āgantukairbhavaiḥ puṃsāṃ vyādhiśokairanekadhā

Translation

Vingt années s’écoulent, privées de Dharma, de joie et de prospérité. Et de bien des façons, l’homme est encore consumé par des conditions imprévues : maladies et chagrins multiples.

Word by Word

• वर्षाणाम्: of years
• वर्षाणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन (Plural)

• विंशतिः: twenty
• विंशतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विंशति (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• याति: passes/goes
• याति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• धर्मकामार्थवर्जितः: devoid of dharma, desire, and wealth
• धर्मकामार्थवर्जितः: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + काम (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक) + वर्जित (कृदन्त; √वर्ज्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle) ‘वर्जित’; तत्पुरुष-समासः (धर्म-काम-अर्थैः वर्जितः)

• आगन्तुकैः: by incidental/coming (external)
• आगन्तुकैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आगन्तुक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• भवैः: by conditions/occurrences
• भवैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• पुंसाम्: of men/of people
• पुंसाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुंस्/पुम् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• व्याधिशोकैः: by illness and grief
• व्याधिशोकैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्याधि (प्रातिपदिक) + शोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; द्वन्द्व-समासः (व्याधिः च शोकः च)

• अनेकधा: in many ways
• अनेकधा: Sambandha (Adverbial modifier/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अनेकधा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: in many ways)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A man’s life depicted as a scroll/calendar where the first twenty years are blank of dharma; then sudden storms labeled ‘vyādhi’ and ‘śoka’ tear the scroll, showing time lost to suffering.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Much of life is lost to unproductive periods and unexpected suffering; therefore one should consciously cultivate Dharma and spiritual steadiness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific sacred site is named here.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the verse motivates purposeful living rather than prescribing a particular rite.