Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 111

Devanagari script

तस्यार्धमायुषो रात्रिर्हरते मृत्युरूपिणी । बालभावेन मोहेन वार्धके जरया तथा

Transliteration

tasyārdhamāyuṣo rātrirharate mṛtyurūpiṇī | bālabhāvena mohena vārdhake jarayā tathā

Translation

ആ ആയുസ്സിന്റെ പകുതി രാത്രിയുതന്നെ—മൃത്യുരൂപിണിയായി—കവർന്നെടുക്കുന്നു. ശേഷിക്കുന്നതും ബാല്യത്തിൽ ബാലഭാവമോഹത്താൽ, വാർദ്ധക്യത്തിൽ ജരാക്ഷയത്താൽ നശിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• तस्य: of him/of that
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे/नपुंसकलिङ्गे, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन (Singular)

• अर्धम्: half
• अर्धम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• आयुषः: of lifespan
• आयुषः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आयुस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• रात्रिः: night
• रात्रिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रात्रि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• हरते: takes away
• हरते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हृ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• मृत्युरूपिणी: having the form of death
• मृत्युरूपिणी: Karta (Subject-apposition/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मृत्यु (प्रातिपदिक) + रूपिणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (मृत्युः एव रूपम् यस्याः/मृत्युरूपा)

• बालभावेन: by childhood-state
• बालभावेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाल (प्रातिपदिक) + भाव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (बालस्य भावः)

• मोहेन: by delusion
• मोहेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मोह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• वार्धके: in old age
• वार्धके: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वार्धक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• जरया: by decay/aging
• जरया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जरा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• तथा: likewise/and so
• तथा: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अव्यय-प्रकारः—समुच्चय/उपमानार्थक-अव्यय (adverb: likewise/so)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages

Visual Art Cues

Scene: An allegorical scene: Night as a dark, veiled figure silently taking away half of a man’s lifespan; beside him a child lost in play (moha) and an aged figure bent with jarā, showing the remaining life slipping away like sand.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Life is effectively shortened by sleep, delusion, and aging; therefore one should use the waking, capable years for Dharma and spiritual striving.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No Tīrtha is mentioned in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a reflective teaching meant to inspire urgency and discipline.