Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

संसारासारतां ज्ञात्वा जन्ममृत्युजरात्मिकाम् । अर्थात्स्वप्नप्रतीकाशं यौवनं च नृणा मिह

Transliteration

saṃsārāsāratāṃ jñātvā janmamṛtyujarātmikām | arthātsvapnapratīkāśaṃ yauvanaṃ ca nṛṇā miha

Translation

ജനനം-മരണം-ജര എന്നിവകൊണ്ടുള്ള ഈ സംസാരം അസാരമാണെന്ന് അറിഞ്ഞ്, ഇവിടെ മനുഷ്യരുടെ യൗവനവും സ്വപ്നസദൃശമായി ക്ഷണികമാണെന്ന് ബോധിച്ച്…

Word by Word

• संसारासारताम्: the worthlessness/insubstantiality of worldly existence
• संसारासारताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संसार + असारता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (संसारस्य असारता)

• ज्ञात्वा: having known
• ज्ञात्वा: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (absolutive/gerund) — ‘having known/realized’

• जन्ममृत्युजरात्मिकाम्: whose nature is birth, death, and old age
• जन्ममृत्युजरात्मिकाम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जन्म + मृत्यु + जरा + आत्मिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः (जन्म-मृत्यु-जरा-आत्मिका = having birth, death, and old age as its nature)

• अर्थात्: namely; in fact
• अर्थात्: Sambandha/Avadhāraṇa (Connector/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अर्थात् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात/अवधारणार्थक (i.e., namely/indeed)

• स्वप्नप्रतीकाशम्: dream-like; illusory
• स्वप्नप्रतीकाशम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वप्न + प्रतीकाश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (स्वप्न इव प्रतीकाशः = dream-like/illusory)

• यौवनम्: youth
• यौवनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यौवन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक-संबन्ध (conjunction ‘and’)

• नृणाम्: of men
• नृणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन

• इह: here (in this world)
• इह: Adhikaraṇa (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of place ‘here/in this world’)

Speaker

Unknown (seeker continuing his reflection before requesting instruction)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A contemplative tableau: the seeker speaks of birth, death, and old age; behind him, symbolic vignettes—fading youth, withering flowers, setting sun—suggest dream-like transience.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Impermanence (anityatā) is emphasized: recognizing birth–death–decay and the dreamlike nature of youth fuels genuine detachment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not specified in this verse; it provides the philosophical ground that often leads to tīrtha-sevā and deity worship in the surrounding narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; it prepares the mind for upāsanā and liberating instruction.