Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 83

Devanagari script

पंचगर्तान्खनंत्येव मृत्युकाले नराधमाः । शिरसा हस्तपादाभ्यां मोहात्संनष्टचेतनाः

Transliteration

paṃcagartānkhanaṃtyeva mṛtyukāle narādhamāḥ | śirasā hastapādābhyāṃ mohātsaṃnaṣṭacetanāḥ

Translation

મૃત્યુકાળે તે નરાધમો પાંચ ખાડા ખોદે છે—માથાથી, હાથ અને પગથી—મોહગ્રસ્ત થઈ, ચેતના ગુમાવીને.

Word by Word

• पञ्च: five
• पञ्च: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्च (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्यावाचक; अव्ययवत् प्रयोग (numeral used adjectivally: “five”)

• गर्तान्: pits/holes
• गर्तान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गर्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-बहुवचन (Accusative plural)

• खनन्ति: they dig
• खनन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: खन् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present); प्रथमपुरुष; बहुवचन (3rd person plural)

• एव: indeed/only
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (particle of emphasis)

• मृत्युकाले: at death-time
• मृत्युकाले: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृत्यु + काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-एकवचन (Locative singular); तत्पुरुष (determinative: “at the time of death”)

• नराधमाः: the vilest men
• नराधमाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर + अधम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-बहुवचन (Nominative plural); कर्मधारय (descriptive: “men who are lowest”)

• शिरसा: with the head
• शिरसा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया-एकवचन (Instrumental singular)

• हस्तपादाभ्याम्: with hands and feet
• हस्तपादाभ्याम्: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हस्त + पाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया- द्विवचन (Instrumental dual); द्वन्द्व (copulative: “hands and feet”)

• मोहात्: from delusion
• मोहात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मोह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; पञ्चमी-एकवचन (Ablative singular)

• संनष्टचेतनाः: having lost consciousness
• संनष्टचेतनाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + नश् (धातु) → संनष्ट + चेतन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past participle) + विशेष्य; पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-बहुवचन (Nominative plural); कर्मधारय (descriptive: “whose consciousness is lost”)

Speaker

Unknown (contextual narrator in Nāgarakhaṇḍa; speaker not explicit in the snippet)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A stark deathbed scene outdoors: a deluded man clawing at earth, five small pits around him; relatives in distress; a distant silhouette of a river-tīrtha and temple spire as contrast—suggesting the alternative of sacred, aware passing.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It warns that delusion and moral degradation can culminate in a confused, undignified end, implying the need for dharmic preparation and clarity of mind.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No particular tīrtha is specified; the verse functions as a Kali-yuga warning within a tīrtha-oriented discourse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the focus is descriptive—portraying delusion at death rather than prescribing a rite.