Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 69

Devanagari script

आयुः परं मनुष्याणां शतसंख्यं सुरेश्वर । नागानां च तरूणां च वर्षाणां यत्र नाधिकम्

Transliteration

āyuḥ paraṃ manuṣyāṇāṃ śatasaṃkhyaṃ sureśvara | nāgānāṃ ca tarūṇāṃ ca varṣāṇāṃ yatra nādhikam

Translation

おお神々の主よ、その時代における人の寿命の極みはおよそ百年にすぎず、ナーガ（蛇族）や樹木でさえ、そこではそれ以上の年数を保てない。

Word by Word

• आयुः: lifespan
• आयुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आयुस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• परम्: maximum
• परम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (supreme/maximum)

• मनुष्याणाम्: of humans
• मनुष्याणाम्: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनुष्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन

• शतसंख्यम्: numbering a hundred
• शतसंख्यम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शत (प्रातिपदिक) + संख्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण; समासः—तत्पुरुष (शतस्य संख्या)

• सुरेश्वर: O Lord of the gods
• सुरेश्वर: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative/8th), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (सुराणाम् ईश्वरः)

• नागानाम्: of serpents (Nāgas)
• नागानाम्: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक

• तरूणाम्: of young men / youths
• तरूणाम्: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तरुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक

• वर्षाणाम्: of years
• वर्षाणाम्: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; सम्बन्धबोधक-देशवाचक

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध-निपात

• अधिकम्: more/exceeding
• अधिकम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अधिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण

Speaker

Unspecified narrator (within Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya dialogue context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sureśvara (addressed)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A measuring staff or hourglass motif beside a human figure; nāga and a great tree shown with shortened shadow-lengths, symbolizing reduced lifespan across species; a sage gestures toward dharma.

Characters & Entities

• Kali-yuga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Life becomes shorter and more fragile in Kali-yuga, urging urgency in dharma, devotion, and merit-making acts.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None; the verse gives a general yuga description within the tīrtha-māhātmya setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription, but the implication supports timely practice of dāna, vrata, and tīrtha-sevā.