Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 27
Devanagari script
शरीरं जीर्यते नित्यं संजीर्यंतींद्रियाण्यपि । आयुर्मृगो मृगयुना कृतलक्ष्यो हि मृत्युना
Transliteration
śarīraṃ jīryate nityaṃ saṃjīryaṃtīṃdriyāṇyapi | āyurmṛgo mṛgayunā kṛtalakṣyo hi mṛtyunā
Translation
身体は常に老い朽ち、感官もまた次第に擦り減る。命は一頭の鹿であり、死という狩人にすでに的として印されている。
Word by Word
शरीरम्body
शरीरम्:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootशरीर (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन
जीर्यतेdecays, grows old
जीर्यते:
Kriya (Predicate)
TypeVerb
Rootजॄ (धातु)
Formलट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; भावे/कर्मणि-प्रायः (‘decays’)
नित्यम्always
नित्यम्:
Kriya-viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootनित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
Formक्रियाविशेषण-प्रयोग (adverbial accusative)
संजीर्यन्तिalso wear out/decay
संजीर्यन्ति:
Kriya (Predicate)
TypeVerb
Rootजॄ (धातु)
Formलट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद; उपसर्गः सं-
इन्द्रियाणिsenses
इन्द्रियाणि:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootइन्द्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन
अपिalso
अपि:
Sambandha (Particle)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootअपि (अव्यय)
Formनिपात (particle: ‘also’)
आयुःlife-span
आयुः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootआयुस् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन
मृगःa deer
मृगः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootमृग (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन
मृगयुनाby the hunter
मृगयुना:
Karaṇa (Instrument)
TypeNoun
Rootमृगयु (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन
कृतलक्ष्यःmade a target, marked
कृतलक्ष्यः:
Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
TypeAdjective
Rootकृत (कृ-धातु, क्त-प्रत्यय) + लक्ष्य (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle) + तत्पुरुषः (‘कृतं लक्ष्यं यस्य’)
हिindeed
हि:
Sambandha (Particle)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootहि (अव्यय)
Formनिपात (particle: emphasis/indeed)
मृत्युनाby death
मृत्युना:
Karaṇa (Instrument)
TypeNoun
Rootमृत्यु (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन
Speaker
Skanda (deduced, Kāśīkhaṇḍa context)
Visual Art Cues
Scene: Allegory: Death as a hunter with bow, life as a deer in a forest; in the background, a pilgrim turns away from decaying body imagery toward the light of Kāśī/Śiva.
Characters & Entities
M
Mṛtyu (Death)Ā
Āyuḥ (lifespan)FAQs
Human life is fragile and relentlessly pursued by death; therefore one should seek the highest good without delay.
Kāśī is the surrounding context of the chapter, though this verse emphasizes impermanence as a motivation to seek it.
None; it is a contemplative instruction fostering detachment and urgency.