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Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 11

कुशाग्रेणापि विद्धः सन्काले पूर्णे न जीवति । तस्माद्गच्छ द्विजश्रेष्ठ यावद्गात्रं न दह्यते

kuśāgreṇāpi viddhaḥ sankāle pūrṇe na jīvati | tasmādgaccha dvijaśreṣṭha yāvadgātraṃ na dahyate

Même si l'on n'est piqué que par la pointe d'un brin d'herbe Kuśa, lorsque le temps imparti est révolu, on ne survit pas. Par conséquent, pars, ô meilleur des deux-fois-nés, tant que ton corps n'est pas encore brûlé.

kuśāgreṇaby the tip of a kuśa grass
kuśāgreṇa:
Karana (Instrument/करण)
TypeNoun
Rootkuśa-agra (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; कुशस्य अग्रं इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष
apieven
api:
Sambandha (Discourse/सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootapi (अव्यय)
Formparticle (even/also)
viddhaḥpierced
viddhaḥ:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeAdjective
Rootvyadh (व्यध् धातु)
Formक्त-प्रत्ययान्त, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन
sanbeing
san:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeAdjective
Rootas (अस् धातु)
Formशतृ-प्रत्ययान्त (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘being’
kālein (due) time
kāle:
Adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootkāla (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन
pūrṇewhen completed / fulfilled
pūrṇe:
Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootpūrṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (काले)
nanot
na:
Sambandha (Discourse/निषेध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootna (अव्यय)
Formnegative particle
jīvatilives
jīvati:
Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootjīv (जीव् धातु)
Formलट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद
tasmāttherefore
tasmāt:
Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
TypeIndeclinable
Roottad (प्रातिपदिक)
Formतस्मात्-शब्दः, अपादानार्थे अव्ययीभाववत् प्रयोगः; हेत्वर्थ-निपात (therefore)
gacchago
gaccha:
Kriya (Command/आज्ञा)
TypeVerb
Rootgam (गम् धातु)
Formलोट् (Imperative/लोट्), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद
dvijaśreṣṭhaO best of Brahmins
dvijaśreṣṭha:
Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
TypeNoun
Rootdvija-śreṣṭha (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; ‘श्रेष्ठो द्विजः’ इति कर्मधारय
yāvatuntil
yāvat:
Adhikarana (Limit/अवधि)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootyāvat (अव्यय)
Formअवधि-अव्यय (until/as long as)
gātramthe body
gātram:
Karta (Subject of passive/कर्मणि कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootgātra (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; here as subject of passive
nanot
na:
Sambandha (Discourse/निषेध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootna (अव्यय)
Formnegative particle
dahyateis burned
dahyate:
Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootdah (दह् धातु)
Formलट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद, कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive sense)

Yama (Dharmarāja)

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Listener: brāhmaṇa-sattama

Scene: Yama gestures toward departure; a kuśa blade is shown as a tiny yet potent symbol, while in the distance a cremation ground’s smoke hints at the body’s impending burning.

Y
Yama
K
Kāla (Time)
K
Kuśa

FAQs

When kāla matures, even the smallest cause becomes sufficient; therefore one should act wisely before the body’s end.

The broader Prabhāsa Kṣetra Māhātmya frames this instruction, presenting dharma-teachings in a tīrtha context.

No explicit rite; it is a narrative instruction to depart promptly, implying urgency in dharmic preparation.