Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 28

Devanagari script

यः कश्चिदधुना मर्त्यो गतायुः संप्रपद्यते । वधाय तस्य यत्नेन त्वया प्रेष्याः सदैव तु

Transliteration

yaḥ kaścidadhunā martyo gatāyuḥ saṃprapadyate | vadhāya tasya yatnena tvayā preṣyāḥ sadaiva tu

Translation

ഇപ്പോൾ ആയുസ്സ് തീർന്ന ഏതൊരു മർത്ത്യനും മുന്നിൽ വന്നാൽ— അവന്റെ മരണത്തിനായി പരിശ്രമത്തോടെ ഇവരെ നീ എപ്പോഴും അയയ്ക്കണം.

Word by Word

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (सर्वनाम)

• कश्चित्: someone, any
• कश्चित्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; अनिश्चितवाचक (indefinite)

• अधुना: now
• अधुना: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अधुना (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (कालवाचक adverb)

• मर्त्यः: a mortal
• मर्त्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मर्त्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• गतायुः: whose lifespan is gone
• गतायुः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गत-आयुस् (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि (गतं आयुः यस्य)

• संप्रपद्यते: falls into / comes to (death)
• संप्रपद्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्+प्र+पद् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद

• वधाय: for killing
• वधाय: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; प्रयोजनार्थ (for the purpose of killing)

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

• यत्नेन: with effort
• यत्नेन: Karana (Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: Karana (Agent/Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन (सर्वनाम)

• प्रेष्याः: servants, messengers
• प्रेष्याः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रेष्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• सदैव: always
• सदैव: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा-एव (अव्यय; संयोग)
• Form: अव्यय (कालवाचक adverb)

• तु: indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात/particle)

Speaker

Brahmā

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Yama

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brahmā’s instruction becomes precise: for mortals whose lifespan is spent, Yama must dispatch the agents toward death; the scene can show a subtle vision of a human figure with a fading life-thread.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Yama
• Martya (mortals)
• Gatāyu (end of lifespan)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Death is framed as lawful completion of lifespan, overseen by dharma—not mere accident—urging timely righteous living.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is named in this shloka.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it concerns the doctrine of lifespan completion and Yama’s mandate.