Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

दन्ताश्चलाश्चला लक्ष्मीर्यौवनं जीवितं नृप । चलाचलमतीवेदं दानमेवं गृहं नृणाम्

Transliteration

dantāścalāścalā lakṣmīryauvanaṃ jīvitaṃ nṛpa | calācalamatīvedaṃ dānamevaṃ gṛhaṃ nṛṇām

Translation

ಹೇ ನೃಪ, ಹಲ್ಲುಗಳು ಅಸ್ಥಿರ, ಲಕ್ಷ್ಮೀ ಚಂಚಲ, ಯೌವನ ಮತ್ತು ಜೀವನವೂ ಅಸ್ಥಿರ. ಇಲ್ಲಿ ಎಲ್ಲವೂ ಕ್ಷಣಭಂಗುರವೆಂದು ತಿಳಿದು ಮನುಷ್ಯನು ದಾನ ಮಾಡಬೇಕು; ಮನುಷ್ಯರ ಗೃಹಸ್ಥಾಶ್ರಮವೂ ಹಾಗೆಯೇ ಚಂಚಲ.

Word by Word

• दन्ताः: teeth
• दन्ताः: Karta (subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (coordination)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• चलाः: unsteady, perishable
• चलाः: Karta (subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; विशेषण (दन्ताः)

• चला: fickle
• चला: Karta (subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; विशेषण (लक्ष्मीः)

• लक्ष्मीः: fortune, wealth
• लक्ष्मीः: Karta (subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लक्ष्मी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• यौवनम्: youth
• यौवनम्: Karta (subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यौवन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• जीवितम्: life
• जीवितम्: Karta (subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जीवित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• नृप: O king
• नृप: Sambodhana (address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8), एकवचन

• चला-अचलम्: moving and unmoving; unstable and stable
• चला-अचलम्: Karma (object) / Predicate-adjective
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चल (प्रातिपदिक) + अचल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; द्वन्द्व-समास (चला च अचला च)

• अतीव: exceedingly
• अतीव: Kriya-visheshaṇa (adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अतीव (अव्यय)
• Form: परिमाण/तीव्रतावाचक-अव्यय (intensifier)

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Karma (object) / Predicate
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन

• दानम्: giving, charity
• दानम्: Karta (subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• एवम्: thus, in this way
• एवम्: Kriya-visheshaṇa (adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb)

• गृहम्: house, home
• गृहम्: Karta (subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• नृणाम्: of men, of people
• नृणाम्: Sambandha (genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), बहुवचन

Speaker

Lomaśa (addressing King Indradyumna)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: nṛpa (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A king listens as a sage enumerates impermanence; in the background, symbolic images: falling teeth, slipping coins, fading youth, a setting sun; foreground shows a householder giving alms to a pilgrim.

Characters & Entities

• Indradyumna
• Lomaśa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Because all worldly supports—body, wealth, youth, and life—are unstable, one should invest in dharma through dāna (charity) and detachment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is named in this verse; it functions as a general dharma-teaching within the Kaumārikā-khaṇḍa narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Dāna (charitable giving) is recommended as the dharmic response to impermanence.