Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 101

Devanagari script

अपि वर्षशतस्यांते स द्विहायनवच्चरेत् । समर्थं वाऽसमर्थं वा कृशं वाप्यकृशं तथा

Transliteration

api varṣaśatasyāṃte sa dvihāyanavaccaret | samarthaṃ vā'samarthaṃ vā kṛśaṃ vāpyakṛśaṃ tathā

Translation

たとえ百年の果てに至っても、母は彼を二歳の幼子のように扱う。子が有能であれ無能であれ、痩せていようと逞しかろうと、母の慈しみは変わらない。

Word by Word

• api: even
• api: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle)

• varṣa-śatasya: of a hundred years
• varṣa-śatasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: varṣa (प्रातिपदिक) + śata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: वर्षाणां शतम्); Genitive singular

• ante: at the end
• ante: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Locative singular

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; demonstrative pronoun; Nominative singular

• dvi-hāyana-vat: like a two-year-old
• dvi-hāyana-vat: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: dvi (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + hāyana (प्रातिपदिक) + vat (तद्धित)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमानार्थक-अव्यय (vat = 'like'); समासः—अव्ययीभाव (द्विहायनवत् = द्विहायनस्य इव)

• caret: should behave/walk
• caret: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √car (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (आज्ञार्थ/सम्भावना), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; Optative 3rd sg

• samartham: capable
• samartham: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Manner/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: samartha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; used adverbially/elliptically as predicate qualifier; Accusative singular

• vā: or
• vā: Sambandha (Disjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्पार्थक-निपात (disjunctive particle)

• asamartham: incapable
• asamartham: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Manner/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a-samartha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Accusative singular

• vā: or
• vā: Sambandha (Disjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्पार्थक-निपात

• kṛśam: thin
• kṛśam: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Manner/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kṛśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Accusative singular

• vā: or
• vā: Sambandha (Disjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्पार्थक-निपात

• api: even
• api: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (emphatic)

• akṛśam: not thin / stout
• akṛśam: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Manner/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a-kṛśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Accusative singular

• tathā: thus/likewise
• tathā: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Manner/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta), contextually addressing the sages (deduced)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A very old son with grey hair sits near his mother; she looks at him with the same tender gaze as at a toddler; the scene juxtaposes age and timeless affection.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It highlights the mother’s unwavering, unconditional care that does not diminish with the child’s age or condition.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it teaches an ethic of gratitude toward lifelong maternal care.