Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 140

Devanagari script

सत्वावलंबितप्राणमायुःशेषेणरक्षितम् । निःश्वासोच्छासपवनवृत्तिसूचितजीवितम्

Transliteration

satvāvalaṃbitaprāṇamāyuḥśeṣeṇarakṣitam | niḥśvāsocchāsapavanavṛttisūcitajīvitam

Translation

അന്തരസ്ഥ സത്ത്വത്തെ ആശ്രയിച്ച പ്രാണനാൽ ആയുസ്സ് ശേഷിക്കുന്ന കാലപരിധിയാൽ മാത്രമേ നിലനിൽക്കൂ; അതിന്റെ നില നിശ്വാസോച്ഛ്വാസമായ വായുവിന്റെ ചലനത്തിലൂടെയേ അറിയപ്പെടൂ।

Word by Word

• सत्त्वावलम्बितप्राणम्: (that which has) life-breath supported by sattva
• सत्त्वावलम्बितप्राणम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सत्त्व + अवलम्बित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक) + प्राण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd case), एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः: सत्त्वेन अवलम्बितः प्राणः यस्य/यत्

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

• शेषेण: by the remainder (that is left)
• शेषेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd case/Instrumental), एकवचन

• रक्षितम्: protected
• रक्षितम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया-विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: रक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• निःश्वासोच्छासपवनवृत्तिसूचितजीवितम्: whose life is indicated by the activity of inhalation, exhalation, and breath-wind
• निःश्वासोच्छासपवनवृत्तिसूचितजीवितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निःश्वास + उच्छास + पवन + वृत्ति + सूचित (कृदन्त) + जीवित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः: निःश्वास-उच्छास-पवन-वृत्त्या सूचितं जीवितं यस्य/यत्

Speaker

Skanda (deduced for Kāśīkhaṇḍa narrative flow)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī/assembly (contextual)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A contemplative sage in Kāśī watching his breath in stillness; a faint hourglass/time-wheel motif behind, with prāṇa depicted as subtle wind currents entering and leaving.

Characters & Entities

• Prāṇa
• Āyus (lifespan)
• Niḥśvāsa
• Ucchvāsa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Human life is fragile and measured by breath and remaining lifespan, urging timely spiritual resolve—especially in a liberating kṣetra like Kāśī.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is named in this verse; it functions as a reflective teaching within the wider Kāśī-māhātmya setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is stated; the verse emphasizes contemplative awareness of mortality and breath.