Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

संपूर्णोद्रियगात्रा यन्मर्तुमिच्छंति वै वृथा । मुहूर्ताद्ध्यत्र खट्वांगो मोक्षमार्गमुपागतः

Transliteration

saṃpūrṇodriyagātrā yanmartumicchaṃti vai vṛthā | muhūrtāddhyatra khaṭvāṃgo mokṣamārgamupāgataḥ

Translation

感官も四肢も健やかに具わっているのに、人はなお死を望む——まことに虚しい。ここにおいては、カトヴァーンガがただ一瞬にして解脱（モークシャ）の道に至ったのだから。

Word by Word

• संपूर्ण-इन्द्रिय-गात्राः: those whose senses and limbs are intact
• संपूर्ण-इन्द्रिय-गात्राः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: संपूर्ण (प्रातिपदिक) + इन्द्रिय (प्रातिपदिक) + गात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (इन्द्रियैः गात्रैः च संपूर्णाः)

• यत्: who (that)
• यत्: Clause linker
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सम्बन्धबोधक अव्यय (relative particle) — ‘who/that’

• मर्तुम्: to die
• मर्तुम्: Kriyā-artha (Purpose/complement)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मृ (धातु) + तुमुन् (प्रत्यय)
• Form: तुमुनन्त कृदन्त (infinitive), ‘to die’

• इच्छन्ति: desire
• इच्छन्ति: Kriyā (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: इष्/इच्छ् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• वै: indeed
• वै: Discourse particle
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चय/अनुनासिक अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• वृथा: in vain, uselessly
• वृथा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वृथा (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण अव्यय (adverb)

• मुहूर्तात्: from/after a moment
• मुहूर्तात्: Apādāna (Ablative: from/after)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुहूर्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), एकवचन

• हि: indeed, for
• हि: Discourse particle
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: हेतौ/निश्चये अव्यय (particle: for/indeed)

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikaraṇa (Locative sense)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (locative adverb)

• खट्वाङ्गः: Khaṭvāṅga
• खट्वाङ्गः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: खट्वाङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन (proper name)

• मोक्षमार्गम्: the path to liberation
• मोक्षमार्गम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मोक्ष (प्रातिपदिक) + मार्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (मोक्षस्य मार्गः)

• उपागतः: has attained, has reached
• उपागतः: Kriyā (Predicative participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप + गम् (धातु) + क्त (प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृदन्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘having reached/attained’

Speaker

The boy

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A teaching moment: the speaker points to the sacred ground while recounting Khaṭvāṅga’s momentary awakening; a faint vision of the king renouncing appears as a narrative vignette.

Characters & Entities

• Khaṭvāṅga
• mokṣa (liberation)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Do not waste life in despair; even a short time, used rightly, can open the mokṣa-mārga—Khaṭvāṅga is cited as proof.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is explicitly praised in this verse; “atra” functions contextually rather than naming a pilgrimage site.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is prescribed; the verse recommends a shift from death-wish to liberation-oriented practice and discernment.