Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 95

Devanagari script

स्त्रीपुंसोर्यौवनं रूपं यदन्योन्याश्रयं पुरा । तदेवं जरया ग्रस्तमुभयोरपि न प्रियम्

Transliteration

strīpuṃsoryauvanaṃ rūpaṃ yadanyonyāśrayaṃ purā | tadevaṃ jarayā grastamubhayorapi na priyam

Translation

സ്ത്രീയും പുരുഷനും ഉള്ള യൗവനസൗന്ദര്യം ഒരുകാലത്ത് പരസ്പരാശ്രയമായിരുന്നു; അതേ ജരയാൽ ഗ്രസിക്കപ്പെടുമ്പോൾ ഇരുവർക്കും പ്രിയമല്ലാതാകുന്നു।

Word by Word

• strī-puṃsoḥ: of woman and man
• strī-puṃsoḥ: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: strī (प्रातिपदिक) + puṃs (पुंस्, प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), द्विवचन-रूप (genitive dual) — ‘of woman and man’; द्वन्द्व-समास (इतरेतर) with dual genitive ending

• yauvanam: youth
• yauvanam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yauvana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — N/Acc sg

• rūpam: beauty/form
• rūpam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rūpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — N/Acc sg (appositional to ‘yauvanam’)

• yat: which
• yat: Sambandha (Relative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (यद्, सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — Relative pronoun (which/that)

• anyonya-āśrayam: mutually dependent
• anyonya-āśrayam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: anyonya (प्रातिपदिक) + āśraya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — N/Acc sg; समासः अन्योन्यस्य आश्रयः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• purā: formerly
• purā: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: purā (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: formerly)

• tat: that
• tat: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (तद्, सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — Demonstrative pronoun (that)

• evam: thus
• evam: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: evam (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: thus/in this way)

• jarayā: by old age
• jarayā: Karana (Instrument/Cause/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jarā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन — Instrumental singular

• grastam: overcome
• grastam: Kriya (Predicative/क्रिया)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √gras (ग्रस्)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — ‘seized/overcome’ (agrees with ‘tat/yauvanam/rūpam’)

• ubhayor: of both
• ubhayor: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ubhaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th), द्विवचन-रूप (genitive dual) — ‘of both’

• api: also
• api: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अपि-कारक-अव्यय (particle: also/even)

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negative particle)

• priyam: pleasant/dear
• priyam: Kriya (Predicative complement/क्रिया)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: priya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — N/Acc sg; predicate adjective

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) (deduced from Māheśvara-khaṇḍa context)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A couple shown in two temporal layers: youthful, radiant forms in the foreground; behind them, the same pair aged, with softened colors and bowed posture; between layers stands a lamp before a Śiva shrine, symbolizing enduring refuge.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It teaches that attraction based on youth and appearance is unstable; therefore one should seek enduring dharma rather than transient charm.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is mentioned; the instruction is ethical and contemplative rather than geographical.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse emphasizes insight into impermanence as a support for dharmic priorities.