Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

अकस्माद्वीक्षते यस्तु पुरुषं कृष्णपिंगलम् । तस्मिन्नेव क्षणेऽरूपं स जीवेद्वत्सरद्वयम्

Transliteration

akasmādvīkṣate yastu puruṣaṃ kṛṣṇapiṃgalam | tasminneva kṣaṇe'rūpaṃ sa jīvedvatsaradvayam

Translation

แต่หากผู้ใดแลเห็นโดยฉับพลันบุรุษผู้มีผิวดำปนเหลืองอมน้ำตาล (กฤษณะ-ปิงคละ) แล้ว ตั้งแต่วินาทีนั้น—แม้ลางจะละเอียดและไร้รูป—กล่าวกันว่าเขาจะมีอายุเพียงสองปีเท่านั้น

Word by Word

• अकस्मात्: suddenly
• अकस्मात्: Kriya-viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अकस्मात् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; आकस्मिकत्ववाचक-क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• वीक्षते: sees
• वीक्षते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वीक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन, आत्मनेपद

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

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

• पुरुषम्: a man/person
• पुरुषम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरुष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• कृष्ण-पिङ्गलम्: black-and-tawny (dark and reddish-brown)
• कृष्ण-पिङ्गलम्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृष्ण (प्रातिपदिक) + पिङ्गल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (पुरुषम्)

• तस्मिन्: in that
• तस्मिन्: Adhikaraṇa (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• एव: just/indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण-निपात (emphatic particle)

• क्षणे: at the moment
• क्षणे: Adhikaraṇa (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• अरूपम्: a formless (apparition)
• अरूपम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अरूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (अध्याहृतं ‘दर्शनम्/निमित्तम्’)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• जीवेत्: would live
• जीवेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जीव् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• वत्सर-द्वयम्: two years
• वत्सर-द्वयम्: Karma (Extent/परिमाण-कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वत्सर (प्रातिपदिक) + द्वय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; द्विगु-समास (संख्यापूर्वकः)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra (nimitta-nirdeśa within Kāśī)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A narrow Kāśī lane at twilight: a pilgrim suddenly sees a dark tawny-hued man (kṛṣṇa-piṅgala) who appears uncanny and then seems formless; the pilgrim’s face shows shock and inward turning toward renunciation.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Omens are reminders to detach from negligence and to invest one’s remaining time in dharma and God-remembrance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is the background of the teaching; the text’s larger aim is to orient the listener toward liberation in the sacred city.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual act is prescribed; the verse records an omen and its indicated remaining lifespan.