Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

नाडीजंघ उवाच । यदर्थं वयमायातास्तन्न सिद्धं महामते । कार्यं तन्मरणं नूनं त्रयाणामप्युपागतम्

Transliteration

nāḍījaṃgha uvāca | yadarthaṃ vayamāyātāstanna siddhaṃ mahāmate | kāryaṃ tanmaraṇaṃ nūnaṃ trayāṇāmapyupāgatam

Translation

നാഡീജംഘൻ പറഞ്ഞു—ഹേ മഹാമതേ! നാം ഏതു ലക്ഷ്യത്തോടെ വന്നുവോ അത് സിദ്ധിച്ചില്ല. ഇപ്പോൾ അതേ ‘കാര്യ’ം നിശ്ചയമായി നമ്മുമൂവർക്കും മരണമായി വന്നെത്തിയിരിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• नाडी-जंघः: Nāḍījaṅgha
• नाडी-जंघः: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाडी (प्रातिपदिक) + जंघा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः (नाम)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Speech act/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• यत्: that which
• यत्: Karma (Object of ‘came for’/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; सम्बन्ध-प्रत्यय (relative pronoun)

• अर्थम्: purpose
• अर्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• वयम्: we
• वयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा, बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• आयाताः: have come
• आयाताः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ+√या (धातु)
• Form: कृत्-प्रत्यय: क्त, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ‘having come’ (predicate with वयम्)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karta (Subject of सिद्धम्/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation)

• सिद्धम्: accomplished
• सिद्धम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √सिध् (धातु)
• Form: कृत्-प्रत्यय: क्त, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘accomplished’

• महामते: O great-minded one
• महामते: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महामति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (महान् मतिः यस्य)

• कार्यम्: the task
• कार्यम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्य (प्रातिपदिक; √कृ से यत्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (referring back: that)

• मरणम्: death
• मरणम्: Karta (Predicate nominal/कर्ता-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मरण (प्रातिपदिक; √मृ से भाव)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समानाधिकरण (apposition to कार्यम्)

• नूनम्: surely
• नूनम्: Sambandha (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नूनम् (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक-अव्यय (certainly)

• त्रयाणाम्: of the three
• त्रयाणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रि (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी, बहुवचन; संख्या-शब्द (of the three)

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्भावना/समुच्चय-निपात (also/even)

• उपागतम्: has come upon/has befallen
• उपागतम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप+आ+√गम् (धातु)
• Form: कृत्-प्रत्यय: क्त, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘has come/has befallen’ (agreeing with कार्यम्)

Speaker

Nāḍījaṅgha

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Purūhūta

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Nāḍījaṅgha speaks with alarm: three companions stand at a crossroads or near a darkening grove; the atmosphere suggests impending death, with tense postures and shadowed surroundings.

Characters & Entities

• Nāḍījaṅgha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When dharmic aims remain unfinished, life feels precarious; the verse stresses urgency, responsibility, and steadfastness in purpose.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is referenced; the verse focuses on the companions’ predicament.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a lament and warning within the dialogue.