Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 58

Devanagari script

न जरा तमतिक्रामेन्न तं मृत्युर्जिर्घांसति । व्याधयस्तं न बाधंते धर्मवर्त्मभृदत्रयः

Transliteration

na jarā tamatikrāmenna taṃ mṛtyurjirghāṃsati | vyādhayastaṃ na bādhaṃte dharmavartmabhṛdatrayaḥ

Translation

ജര അവനെ അതിക്രമിക്കുകയില്ല; മരണം അവനെ വധിക്കുവാൻ ശ്രമിക്കുകയില്ല. രോഗങ്ങളും അവനെ പീഡിപ്പിക്കുകയില്ല—അവൻ ധർമ്മപഥധാരി, നിർഭയൻ.

Word by Word

• न: not
• न: निषेध (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय

• जरा: old age
• जरा: कर्ता (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जरा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• तम्: him
• तम्: कर्म (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• अतिक्रामेत्: would overtake
• अतिक्रामेत्: क्रिया (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अति-क्रम् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; ‘would overtake’

• न: not
• न: निषेध (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय

• तम्: him
• तम्: कर्म (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• मृत्युः: death
• मृत्युः: कर्ता (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृत्यु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• जिघांसति: wishes to kill
• जिघांसति: क्रिया (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; desiderative (सन्नन्त) ‘जिघांसति’ = wishes to kill

• व्याधयः: diseases
• व्याधयः: कर्ता (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्याधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• तम्: him
• तम्: कर्म (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• न: not
• न: निषेध (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय

• बाधन्ते: afflict
• बाधन्ते: क्रिया (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: बाध् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन; आत्मनेपद

• धर्मवर्त्मभृत्: (him) who bears the path of dharma
• धर्मवर्त्मभृत्: कर्म (Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धर्म-वर्त्म-भृत् (प्रातिपदिक; भृत्-प्रत्ययान्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; ‘धर्मस्य वर्त्म’ + ‘भृत्’ = bearer of dharma-path

• अत्रयः: the Atris (Atri’s lineages)
• अत्रयः: कर्ता (Subject apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अत्रि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; ‘अत्रि-गोत्रजाः/अत्रयः’

Speaker

Śiva (continuing his reflection)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Implied audience within the narrative (divine/royal context)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A dharma-bearer stands serene amid personified Old Age, Death, and Disease who recoil or bow; Kāśī’s sacred skyline and Gaṅgā shimmer behind, suggesting a protective mandala.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Dharma
• Mṛtyu (Death)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

One established in dharma gains fearlessness; worldly afflictions lose their power before dharmic steadiness and divine protection.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is the narrative setting, implicitly magnified as a realm where dharma and Śiva’s protection prevail.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite; the ‘practice’ is adherence to dharma as a continual vrata-like discipline.