Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 140

Devanagari script

सत्वावलंबितप्राणमायुःशेषेणरक्षितम् । निःश्वासोच्छासपवनवृत्तिसूचितजीवितम्

Transliteration

satvāvalaṃbitaprāṇamāyuḥśeṣeṇarakṣitam | niḥśvāsocchāsapavanavṛttisūcitajīvitam

Translation

ستّو کے سہارے قائم پران سے زندگی ٹکی رہتی ہے، مگر وہ صرف باقی ماندہ عمر کے حصے سے محفوظ رہتی ہے؛ اس کی بقا کا پتہ محض سانس کے آنا جانا، یعنی نِشواس و اُچھواس کی ہوا سے چلتا ہے۔

Word by Word

• सत्त्वावलम्बितप्राणम्: (that which has) life-breath supported by sattva
• सत्त्वावलम्बितप्राणम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सत्त्व + अवलम्बित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक) + प्राण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd case), एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः: सत्त्वेन अवलम्बितः प्राणः यस्य/यत्

• आयुः: lifespan
• आयुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आयुस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case/Nominative), एकवचन

• शेषेण: by the remainder (that is left)
• शेषेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd case/Instrumental), एकवचन

• रक्षितम्: protected
• रक्षितम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया-विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: रक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• निःश्वासोच्छासपवनवृत्तिसूचितजीवितम्: whose life is indicated by the activity of inhalation, exhalation, and breath-wind
• निःश्वासोच्छासपवनवृत्तिसूचितजीवितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निःश्वास + उच्छास + पवन + वृत्ति + सूचित (कृदन्त) + जीवित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः: निःश्वास-उच्छास-पवन-वृत्त्या सूचितं जीवितं यस्य/यत्

Speaker

Skanda (deduced for Kāśīkhaṇḍa narrative flow)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī/assembly (contextual)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A contemplative sage in Kāśī watching his breath in stillness; a faint hourglass/time-wheel motif behind, with prāṇa depicted as subtle wind currents entering and leaving.

Characters & Entities

• Prāṇa
• Āyus (lifespan)
• Niḥśvāsa
• Ucchvāsa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Human life is fragile and measured by breath and remaining lifespan, urging timely spiritual resolve—especially in a liberating kṣetra like Kāśī.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is named in this verse; it functions as a reflective teaching within the wider Kāśī-māhātmya setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is stated; the verse emphasizes contemplative awareness of mortality and breath.