Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 115

Devanagari script

मरणं तद्विनिर्द्दिष्टं न नाशः परमार्थतः । महातमःप्रविष्टस्य च्छिद्यमानेषु मर्मसु

Transliteration

maraṇaṃ tadvinirddiṣṭaṃ na nāśaḥ paramārthataḥ | mahātamaḥpraviṣṭasya cchidyamāneṣu marmasu

Translation

C’est cela qu’on nomme « la mort » : non pas l’anéantissement au sens ultime. C’est l’état de celui qui est entré dans la grande ténèbre, tandis que ses points vitaux sont tranchés et brisés.

Word by Word

• मरणम्: death
• मरणम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• तत्: that
• तत्: Sambandha (Correlative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (demonstrative)

• विनिर्दिष्टम्: is declared/defined
• विनिर्दिष्टम्: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्ता-समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + निर् + दिश् (धातु) → विनिर्दिष्ट (कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle)

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

• नाशः: annihilation
• नाशः: Karta (Predicate/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• परमार्थतः: in ultimate truth
• परमार्थतः: Sambandha (Adverbial modifier/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: परमार्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय-भावे तसिल्-प्रत्यय (ablatival adverb): ‘-तः’ = from the standpoint of; (in truth)

• महातमःप्रविष्टस्य: of one who has entered great darkness
• महातमःप्रविष्टस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + तमस् (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रविष्ट (कृदन्त; √विश् with प्र)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (महत्तमसि प्रविष्टः) + षष्ठी

• च्छिद्यमानेषु: while being cut (in)
• च्छिद्यमानेषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: छिद् (धातु) → छिद्यमान (कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), बहुवचन; वर्तमानकृदन्त (present passive participle)

• मर्मसु: in the vital parts/joints
• मर्मसु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), बहुवचन

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa context)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A dying person on a simple bed; the room darkens into a vast blackness (mahā-tamas) while subtle ‘marmas’ are shown as fading points of light; in the darkness, a small radiant liṅga or the syllable ‘ॐ’ remains as the sole lamp.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Death is a transition marked by suffering and obscuration, but the self is not ultimately destroyed.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned; the verse focuses on metaphysical clarification about death.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the emphasis is doctrinal—understanding death correctly to cultivate detachment and dharma.