Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 124

Devanagari script

क्षणिकं मरणे दुःखमनंतं प्रार्थनाकृतम् । ज्ञातं मयैतदधुना मृतो भवति यद्गुरुः

Transliteration

kṣaṇikaṃ maraṇe duḥkhamanaṃtaṃ prārthanākṛtam | jñātaṃ mayaitadadhunā mṛto bhavati yadguruḥ

Translation

ความทุกข์ในยามตายนั้นชั่วขณะ แต่ความทุกข์ที่เกิดจากการขอร้องและตัณหานั้นไร้ที่สิ้นสุด บัดนี้ข้าพเจ้ารู้ชัดแล้ว เพราะแม้แต่คุรุของข้าพเจ้าก็ถึงมรณา

Word by Word

• क्षणिकम्: momentary
• क्षणिकम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्षणिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (agreeing with ‘दुःखम्’)

• मरणे: in death / at dying
• मरणे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• दुःखम्: suffering
• दुःखम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुःख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अनन्तम्: endless
• अनन्तम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (agreeing with implied ‘दुःखम्’)

• प्रार्थना-कृतम्: caused by begging
• प्रार्थना-कृतम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रार्थना (प्रातिपदिक) + कृ (धातु)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (instrumental/causal sense) ‘प्रार्थनया कृतम्’; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• ज्ञातम्: is known / has been realized
• ज्ञातम्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle/क्त); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; भावे प्रयोगः ‘ज्ञातम्’ = it is known

• मया: by me
• मया: Kartr-karana (कर्ता/करण in passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम; तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अधुना: now
• अधुना: Avyaya (अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अधुना (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (adverb of time)

• मृतः: dead
• मृतः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन, पुल्लिङ्ग

• भवति: becomes / is
• भवति: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• यत्: since/that (relative)
• यत्: Avyaya (अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सम्बन्धबोधक अव्यय/सर्वनाम-प्रयोगः (relative particle)

• गुरुः: the teacher
• गुरुः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुरु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A disciple sits beside the lifeless body of his guru, eyes filled with restrained grief; above, a symbolic wheel of Time turns, while a faint stream of thought-forms labeled ‘tṛṣṇā’ stretches endlessly, contrasting momentary death with endless craving.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Death’s pain is brief, but the bondage of craving and constant petitioning creates unending misery; therefore cultivate detachment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; it functions as a general dharma-nīti teaching within the Kaumārikākhaṇḍa context.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is prescribed here; the instruction is ethical and contemplative (vairāgya).