Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

ततः परं च वार्द्धक्यं शनैः संजायते नृणाम् । लक्षांते परमं यावदन्येषामधिकं क्वचित्

Transliteration

tataḥ paraṃ ca vārddhakyaṃ śanaiḥ saṃjāyate nṛṇām | lakṣāṃte paramaṃ yāvadanyeṣāmadhikaṃ kvacit

Translation

അതിന് ശേഷം മനുഷ്യർക്കു വാർദ്ധക്യം പതുക്കെ പതുക്കെ വരുന്നു; ലക്ഷവർഷത്തിന്റെ അവസാനം മാത്രമേ അതിന്റെ പരമാവസ്ഥ എത്തുകയുള്ളൂ—ചിലർക്കു അതിലും അധികം നീളാം.

Word by Word

• tataḥ: then; thereafter
• tataḥ: Sambandha (Sequence)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रमवाचक (thereafter)

• param: further; after that
• param: Sambandha (Sequence)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः; 'परम्' = further/after that (adverbial accusative)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक

• vārddhakyam: old age
• vārddhakyam: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vārddhakya (प्रातिपदिक; वृद्ध + क्य/य)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• śanaiḥ: slowly; gradually
• śanaiḥ: Kriya-viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: śanaiḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: slowly/gradually)

• saṃjāyate: arises; comes into being
• saṃjāyate: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: jan (धातु; सम्-उपसर्ग)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• nṛṇām: of men
• nṛṇām: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• lakṣa-ante: at the end of a lakh (100,000)
• lakṣa-ante: Adhikaraṇa (Limit/Point)
• Type: Noun
• Root: lakṣa + anta (प्रातिपदिक; लक्ष + अन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; 'लक्षस्य अन्ते'

• paramam: supreme; utmost
• paramam: Karma (Extent)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: parama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (of implied 'āyuḥ' or extent)

• yāvat: up to
• yāvat: Sambandha (Limit)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yāvat (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; परिमाण-सीमाबोधक

• anyeṣām: of others
• anyeṣām: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• adhikam: more; exceeding
• adhikam: Karma (Extent)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: adhika (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; तुलनार्थक विशेषण (more/exceeding)

• kvacit: sometimes
• kvacit: Kriya-viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kvacit (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देश/काल-अनिश्चितार्थक (sometimes/at some place)

Speaker

Bṛhaspati

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Elders who appear serene and vigorous, with minimal signs of frailty; a visual metaphor of time as a slow-flowing river around a sacred settlement; sun-moon and star motifs indicating vast duration.

Characters & Entities

• Bṛhaspati

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In the ideal yuga, decline is delayed—suggesting that dharma and inner purity sustain life and vitality.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is mentioned; it continues the yuga-characteristics narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.