Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 117

Devanagari script

मण्डूक इव सर्पेण गीर्यते मृत्युना जनः । बांधवैः संपरित्यक्तः प्रियैश्च परिवारितः

Transliteration

maṇḍūka iva sarpeṇa gīryate mṛtyunā janaḥ | bāṃdhavaiḥ saṃparityaktaḥ priyaiśca parivāritaḥ

Translation

ಹಾವು ಕಪ್ಪೆಯನ್ನು ನುಂಗುವಂತೆ, ಮರಣವು ಮನುಷ್ಯನನ್ನು ನುಂಗುತ್ತದೆ. ಕೆಲ ಬಂಧುಗಳು ಅವನನ್ನು ತ್ಯಜಿಸುತ್ತಾರೆ; ಆದರೆ ಪ್ರಿಯರು ಅವನ ಸುತ್ತಲೂ ಇರುತ್ತಾರೆ.

Word by Word

• maṇḍūkaḥ: a frog
• maṇḍūkaḥ: Upamāna (Standard of comparison/उपमान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: maṇḍūka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; उपमान (standard of comparison)

• iva: like
• iva: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iva (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमा-निपात (comparative particle)

• sarpeṇa: by a snake
• sarpeṇa: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन

• gīryate: is swallowed
• gīryate: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: gir (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive)

• mṛtyunā: by death
• mṛtyunā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mṛtyu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन

• janaḥ: a person
• janaḥ: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगे कर्म-स्थान (logical object)

• bāṃdhavaiḥ: by relatives
• bāṃdhavaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bāṃdhava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन

• saṃparityaktaḥ: abandoned completely
• saṃparityaktaḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sam + pari + tyakta (कृदन्त; √tyaj धातु, क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle)

• priyaiḥ: by loved ones
• priyaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: priya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• parivāritaḥ: surrounded/attended
• parivāritaḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pari + vārita (कृदन्त; √vṛ/√vār धातु, क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (PPP)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa context)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Symbolic tableau: a serpent swallowing a frog in the foreground; behind, a dying man with some relatives stepping back while a few loved ones remain close, helpless.

Characters & Entities

• Mṛtyu

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Death is inescapable and solitary; one should rely on dharma and devotion rather than social support.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned; the verse is ethical-philosophical rather than geographical.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it motivates inner preparation—japa, charity, and devotion—before the final moment.