Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 35

Devanagari script

षण्मासाभ्यंतरे मृत्युर्यद्यकस्माद्भवेन्मम । तत्ते पदं गतिर्मे स्यादहं ते भृत्यतां गतः

Transliteration

ṣaṇmāsābhyaṃtare mṛtyuryadyakasmādbhavenmama | tatte padaṃ gatirme syādahaṃ te bhṛtyatāṃ gataḥ

Translation

ആറ് മാസത്തിനുള്ളിൽ എനിക്ക് അപ്രതീക്ഷിതമായി മരണം സംഭവിച്ചാൽ, നിന്റെ ആ പുണ്യപാദം തന്നേ എനിക്ക് ശരണവും ഗതിയും ആകട്ടെ; ഞാൻ നിന്റെ ദാസഭാവത്തിൽ പ്രവേശിച്ചിരിക്കുന്നു।

Word by Word

• षण्मासाभ्यन्तरे: within six months
• षण्मासाभ्यन्तरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: षण्मास (प्रातिपदिक) + अभ्यन्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः (Locative/7th), एकवचनम्; षण्मासस्य अभ्यन्तरः इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः

• मृत्युः: death
• मृत्युः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृत्यु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative/1st), एकवचनम्

• यदि: if
• यदि: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्तार्थक-अव्ययम् (conditional particle)

• अकस्मात्: suddenly, unexpectedly
• अकस्मात्: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अकस्मात् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; क्रियाविशेषणम् (adverb)

• भवेत्: should occur / might happen
• भवेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd person), एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• मम: of me / my
• मम: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्तिः (Genitive/6th), एकवचनम्; सर्वनाम

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Nom./Acc.), एकवचनम्; सर्वनाम

• ते: your / to you
• ते: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी/चतुर्थी-विभक्तिः (Gen./Dat.), एकवचनम्; सर्वनाम

• पदम्: state, abode, position
• पदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Nom./Acc.), एकवचनम्

• गतिः: refuge, course, destination
• गतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative/1st), एकवचनम्

• मे: my / for me
• मे: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी/चतुर्थी-विभक्तिः (Gen./Dat.), एकवचनम्; सर्वनाम

• स्यात्: may be / should be
• स्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd person), एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative/1st), एकवचनम्; सर्वनाम

• ते: your / to you
• ते: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी/चतुर्थी-विभक्तिः (Gen./Dat.), एकवचनम्; सर्वनाम

• भृत्यताम्: servanthood
• भृत्यताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भृत्यता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Accusative/2nd), एकवचनम्

• गतः: gone, attained
• गतः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु) → गत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्तः (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; कर्तरि प्रयोगे ‘gone/attained’

Speaker

Sūta (quoting the mantra to be recited by the devotee)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim with folded hands stands before a sanctified footprint-mark (pāda-cihna) of Hari on a stone pedestal near water; the mood is urgent yet serene, as if making a last vow before death.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Viṣṇupada

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śaraṇāgati: taking refuge in the Lord’s feet and embracing humble service is portrayed as the sure spiritual path even in the face of death.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Viṣṇupada—the sacred footprint/feet of Viṣṇu—treated as a saving refuge when remembered and worshipped.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Recitation of a surrender-mantra during Viṣṇupada worship, explicitly framing refuge even if death comes soon.