Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 27

Devanagari script

शरीरं जीर्यते नित्यं संजीर्यंतींद्रियाण्यपि । आयुर्मृगो मृगयुना कृतलक्ष्यो हि मृत्युना

Transliteration

śarīraṃ jīryate nityaṃ saṃjīryaṃtīṃdriyāṇyapi | āyurmṛgo mṛgayunā kṛtalakṣyo hi mṛtyunā

Translation

ശരീരം നിത്യം ക്ഷയിക്കുന്നു; ഇന്ദ്രിയങ്ങളും ക്രമേണ ജീർണ്ണിക്കുന്നു. ആയുസ്സ് ഒരു മാൻ; മരണരൂപിയായ വേട്ടക്കാരൻ അതിനെ ലക്ഷ്യമാക്കി വെച്ചിരിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• शरीरम्: body
• शरीरम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शरीर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• जीर्यते: decays, grows old
• जीर्यते: Kriya (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जॄ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; भावे/कर्मणि-प्रायः (‘decays’)

• नित्यम्: always
• नित्यम्: Kriya-viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-प्रयोग (adverbial accusative)

• संजीर्यन्ति: also wear out/decay
• संजीर्यन्ति: Kriya (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जॄ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद; उपसर्गः सं-

• इन्द्रियाणि: senses
• इन्द्रियाणि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इन्द्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle: ‘also’)

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

• मृगः: a deer
• मृगः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• मृगयुना: by the hunter
• मृगयुना: Karaṇa (Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृगयु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• कृतलक्ष्यः: made a target, marked
• कृतलक्ष्यः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृत (कृ-धातु, क्त-प्रत्यय) + लक्ष्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle) + तत्पुरुषः (‘कृतं लक्ष्यं यस्य’)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle: emphasis/indeed)

• मृत्युना: by death
• मृत्युना: Karaṇa (Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृत्यु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced, Kāśīkhaṇḍa context)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Allegory: Death as a hunter with bow, life as a deer in a forest; in the background, a pilgrim turns away from decaying body imagery toward the light of Kāśī/Śiva.

Characters & Entities

• Mṛtyu (Death)
• Āyuḥ (lifespan)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Human life is fragile and relentlessly pursued by death; therefore one should seek the highest good without delay.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is the surrounding context of the chapter, though this verse emphasizes impermanence as a motivation to seek it.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a contemplative instruction fostering detachment and urgency.