Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

अहोरात्रं त्र्यहोरात्रं रविर्वहति संततम् । अब्दमेकं च तस्येह जीवनावधिरुच्यते

Transliteration

ahorātraṃ tryahorātraṃ ravirvahati saṃtatam | abdamekaṃ ca tasyeha jīvanāvadhirucyate

Translation

‘രവി-നാടി’ (ദക്ഷിണ നാസാപുട പ്രവാഹം) ഒരു പകലും രാത്രിയും അല്ലെങ്കിൽ മൂന്ന് പകലും രാത്രികളും ഇടവിടാതെ തുടർന്നാൽ, ഈ ലോകത്തിലെ അവന്റെ ജീവപരിധി വെറും ഒരു വർഷമെന്നു പറയപ്പെടുന്നു.

Word by Word

• अहोरात्रम्: a day-and-night (one nychthemeron)
• अहोरात्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहन् (प्रातिपदिक) + रात्रि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; द्वन्द्व-समास (अहश्च रात्रिश्च)

• त्रि-अहोरात्रम्: three day-nights
• त्रि-अहोरात्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रि (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + अहोरात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; द्विगु-समास (त्रीणि अहोरात्राणि)

• रविः: the sun
• रविः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रवि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• वहति: carries/flows
• वहति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वह् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present/वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• संततम्: continuously
• संततम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: संतत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषणरूपेण अव्ययीभूत (adverb: continuously)

• अब्दम्: a year
• अब्दम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अब्द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• एकम्: one
• एकम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; अब्दम् इति विशेषण

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

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन

• इह: here
• इह: Desha-adhikarana (Place/देशाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: here/in this context)

• जीवन-अवधिः: the limit of life
• जीवन-अवधिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जीवन (प्रातिपदिक) + अवधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (जीवनस्य अवधि:)

• उच्यते: is said
• उच्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present/वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद, कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A householder-devotee at Kāśī, noticing persistent right-nostril breath while watching the sun over the Gaṅgā; he turns toward a Śiva-liṅga shrine with offerings, conveying urgency.

Characters & Entities

• Ravi

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When signs of limited time appear, one should turn urgently toward righteous living, remembrance of Śiva, and preparation for a good end.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Implicitly Kāśī—where awareness of life’s limit is meant to culminate in seeking liberation through devotion and holy conduct.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual is stated; the verse describes a diagnostic sign based on continuous ‘solar’ (right-nostril) flow.