Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

यज्जीवितं चाचिरांशुसमानक्षणभंगुरम् । तच्चेद्धर्मकृते याति यातु दोषोऽस्ति को ननु

Transliteration

yajjīvitaṃ cācirāṃśusamānakṣaṇabhaṃguram | tacceddharmakṛte yāti yātu doṣo'sti ko nanu

Translation

ชีวิตนี้เปราะบางชั่วขณะดุจลำแสงตะวัน; หากอุทิศเพื่อธรรมะ ก็จงเป็นเช่นนั้นเถิด—จะมีโทษอันใดเล่า

Word by Word

• yat: which (that)
• yat: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• jīvitam: life
• jīvitam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jīvita (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• acirāṃśu-samāna-kṣaṇa-bhaṅguram: fragile for a moment, like a fleeting sun-ray
• acirāṃśu-samāna-kṣaṇa-bhaṅguram: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: acira-aṃśu (प्रातिपदिक) + samāna (प्रातिपदिक) + kṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + bhaṅgura (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (निर्धारण/विशेषण-सम्बन्धः); विशेषणम् (jīvitam-विशेष्य)

• tat: that
• tat: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; निर्देशार्थक सर्वनाम (demonstrative)

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

• dharma-kṛte: for the sake of dharma
• dharma-kṛte: Hetu (Cause/Purpose/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dharma (प्रातिपदिक) + kṛta (कृ धातु, क्त-प्रत्यय; प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative) एकवचन; अर्थे—हेतौ/निमित्ते (for the sake of); समासः—तत्पुरुषः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: धर्मस्य कृते)

• yāti: goes
• yāti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: yā (या धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• yātu: let it go
• yātu: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: yā (या धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative/benedictive sense), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• doṣaḥ: fault
• doṣaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: doṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• asti: is
• asti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (अस् धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• kaḥ: what/which (fault)
• kaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक सर्वनाम

• nanu: indeed, surely
• nanu: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nanu (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic/confirmatory particle)

Speaker

Arjuna

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis of Naimiṣāraṇya (implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A contemplative hero reflects on life’s sunbeam-like brevity, resolving to spend it for dharma; ascetic setting implied, with calm forest hermitage ambience.

Characters & Entities

• Arjuna

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Because life is momentary, dedicating it to Dharma is presented as blameless and supremely meaningful.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is named here; the verse provides the inner rationale that motivates tīrtha-journey and Dharma-action.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a philosophical affirmation supporting Dharma-centered choices.