Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

कुमार उवाच । वदामि कालचिह्नानि जायंते यानि देहिनाम् । मृत्यौ निकटमापन्ने मुने तानि निशामय

Transliteration

kumāra uvāca | vadāmi kālacihnāni jāyaṃte yāni dehinām | mṛtyau nikaṭamāpanne mune tāni niśāmaya

Translation

ਕੁਮਾਰ (ਸਕੰਦ) ਨੇ ਕਿਹਾ: ਮੈਂ ਕਾਲ ਦੇ ਉਹ ਚਿੰਨ੍ਹ ਦੱਸਦਾ ਹਾਂ ਜੋ ਦੇਹਧਾਰੀਆਂ ਵਿੱਚ ਉਤਪੰਨ ਹੁੰਦੇ ਹਨ। ਹੇ ਮੁਨੀ! ਜਦ ਮ੍ਰਿਤ੍ਯੁ ਨੇੜੇ ਆ ਜਾਵੇ, ਤਦ ਉਹਨਾਂ ਚਿੰਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਧਿਆਨ ਨਾਲ ਵੇਖੋ।

Word by Word

• कुमारः: Kumāra (Skanda)
• कुमारः: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुमार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; एकवचन

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

• वदामि: I tell
• वदामि: Kriya (Predicate action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वद् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present); उत्तमपुरुष (1st person); एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• कालचिह्नानि: signs of (approaching) time/death
• कालचिह्नानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल + चिह्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास (कालस्य चिह्नानि); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति; बहुवचन

• जायन्ते: arise, occur
• जायन्ते: Kriya (Predicate action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present); प्रथमपुरुष; बहुवचन; आत्मनेपद — 'arise/occur'

• यानि: which
• यानि: Sambandha (Relative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति; बहुवचन — relative pronoun referring to 'कालचिह्नानि'

• देहिनाम्: of embodied beings
• देहिनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देहिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठीविभक्ति; बहुवचन

• मृत्यौ: at death, when death (is near)
• मृत्यौ: Adhikarana (Time/occasion locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृत्यु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी विभक्ति; एकवचन

• निकटम्: near
• निकटम्: Adhikarana (Manner/degree/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: निकट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाववत् क्रियाविशेषण (adverbial accusative) — 'near'

• आपन्ने: when (it) has approached
• आपन्ने: Adhikarana (Condition locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ + पद् (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त); पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी विभक्ति; एकवचन — agreeing with 'मृत्यौ' (locative absolute-like sense)

• मुने: O sage
• मुने: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन विभक्ति; एकवचन

• तानि: those
• तानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति; बहुवचन

• निशामय: observe, note
• निशामय: Kriya (Command/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि + शम् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative); मध्यमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपद — 'observe/notice'

Speaker

Skanda (Kumāra)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Agastya

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Skanda, calm and authoritative, begins enumerating the signs that arise when death approaches; Agastya listens attentively in a sacred, quiet setting.

Characters & Entities

• Kumāra (Skanda)
• Agastya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Awareness of death’s nearness is framed as a spiritual instruction, encouraging vigilance and readiness for liberation-oriented living.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Though not named in the verse, the Kāśīkhaṇḍa context situates the teaching within Kāśī’s mokṣa-centered sacred landscape.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is prescribed here; it introduces an instructional list of signs to be observed.