Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 82
Devanagari script
दृष्ट्वा मन्येत स क्षीणमात्मजीवितमाप्तवान् । नासिका वक्रतामेति कर्णयोर्न्नमनोन्नती
Transliteration
dṛṣṭvā manyeta sa kṣīṇamātmajīvitamāptavān | nāsikā vakratāmeti karṇayornnamanonnatī
Translation
ഇവ കണ്ടാൽ ആയുസ്സ് ക്ഷയിച്ചുവെന്ന് മനസ്സിലാക്കണം. മൂക്ക് വളയുന്നതും ചെവികൾ തൂങ്ങുന്നതും അല്ലെങ്കിൽ ഉയരുന്നതും താ지는തും മരണലക്ഷണങ്ങളാണ്.
Word by Word
दृष्ट्वाhaving seen
दृष्ट्वा:
Pūrvakāla (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootदृश् (धातु) + त्वा (कृदन्त)
Formक्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund) — ‘having seen’
मन्येतwould think
मन्येत:
Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootमन् (धातु)
Formविधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन — ‘would think’
सःhe
सः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन — Nominative singular
क्षीणम्diminished
क्षीणम्:
Karman (Object complement/कर्मपूरक)
TypeAdjective
Rootक्षीण (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन — Accusative singular agreeing with आत्मजीवितम्
आत्मजीवितम्his own life
आत्मजीवितम्:
Karman (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootआत्मन् + जीवित (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन — Accusative singular; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष ‘one’s own life’
आप्तवान्having obtained
आप्तवान्:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeAdjective
Rootआप् (धातु) + क्तवत् (कृदन्त)
Formभूतकाले कृदन्त (क्तवत्-प्रत्यय), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन — past active participle ‘having obtained’
नासिकाthe nose
नासिका:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootनासिका (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन — Nominative singular
वक्रताम्crookedness
वक्रताम्:
Karman (State/object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootवक्रता (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन — Accusative singular (state attained)
एतिbecomes/comes to
एति:
Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootइ (धातु)
Formलट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन — Present indicative ‘goes/comes to’
कर्णयोःof the two ears
कर्णयोः:
Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
TypeNoun
Rootकर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी/सप्तमी विभक्ति, द्विवचन — Genitive/Locative dual (‘of/in the two ears’)
नमन-उन्नतीbending and rising (motions)
नमन-उन्नती:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootनमन (प्रातिपदिक) + उन्नति (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, द्विवचन (समाहार-द्वन्द्वे एकवचन अपेक्षित; पाठे ‘उन्नती’ द्विवचनरूपेण) — dual ‘bending and rising’
Speaker
Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) addressing the sages (deduced)
Visual Art Cues
Scene: A calm but grave diagnostic scene: an elder or physician-like figure observes a person’s face—nose subtly crooked, ears uneven—while the subject contemplates shortened life.
FAQs
Physical decline is interpreted as a dharmic reminder: use the remaining time for purification, truthfulness, and devotion.
No tīrtha is mentioned.
None; the verse lists bodily nimittas (signs).