Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 43

Devanagari script

निमेषान्पंचपान्मर्त्ये प्राणंति प्राणिनो ध्रुवम् । तत्रापि न प्रवर्तेयुरघकर्मणि गर्हिते

Transliteration

nimeṣānpaṃcapānmartye prāṇaṃti prāṇino dhruvam | tatrāpi na pravarteyuraghakarmaṇi garhite

Translation

عالمِ فانی میں جاندار یقینا چند پلک جھپکنے کے برابر ہی جیتے ہیں؛ پھر بھی انہیں ملامت زدہ، گناہ آلود اعمال میں نہیں پڑنا چاہیے۔

Word by Word

• निमेषान्: moments (blinks)
• निमेषान्: Karma (Extent/measure object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निमेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Masculine, Accusative, Plural)

• पञ्च: five
• पञ्च: Visheshana (Numeral modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्च (संख्यावाचक-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् संख्याशब्दः; द्वितीया-बहुवचनार्थे विशेषण (numeral adjective qualifying ‘निमेषान्’)

• पान्: (uncertain; possibly ‘steps/parts’)
• पान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प (प्रातिपदिक; ‘प’ = पाद/पण?; पाठभेद-संशय)
• Form: द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; पाठे ‘पान्’ अस्पष्टः—सम्भाव्यः ‘पादान्’/‘परान्’ इत्यादि; अर्थनिर्णय कठिन (Accusative, Plural; uncertain reading)

• मर्त्ये: in the mortal world/among mortals
• मर्त्ये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मर्त्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन (Masculine, Locative, Singular)

• प्राणन्ति: they live/breathe
• प्राणन्ति: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √प्राण् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन (Present, Parasmaipada, 3rd person, Plural)

• प्राणिनः: living beings
• प्राणिनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राणिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Plural)

• ध्रुवम्: certainly
• ध्रुवम्: Kriyavisheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ध्रुव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावेन क्रियाविशेषणवत् (indeclinable adverbial use: certainly)

• तत्र: there/in that (life)
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Adverbial location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Emphasis (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपवाद-निपात (particle: even/also)

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात (negation)

• प्रवर्तेयुः: they should engage
• प्रवर्तेयुः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-√वृत् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन (Optative, Ātmanepada, 3rd person, Plural)

• अघकर्मणि: in sinful action
• अघकर्मणि: Adhikarana (Domain/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अघ (प्रातिपदिक) + कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन (Neuter, Locative, Singular)

• गर्हिते: blameworthy
• गर्हिते: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √गर्ह् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (PPP; Neuter, Locative, Singular; adjective)

Speaker

Dharmarāja (Yama)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis / pilgrims as implied audience

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A symbolic depiction of fleeting time: a human life shown as a short garland of ‘blinks’ (nimēṣa) while Kāla’s shadow looms; a pilgrim turns away from a sinful act toward the river and a shrine.

Characters & Entities

• Dharmarāja (Yama)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Because life is extremely short, one should not waste it on censurable actions; dharma must be chosen immediately.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific site is named; the ethical teaching is delivered within the Kāśīkhaṇḍa’s Kāśī milieu.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is specified; the practical instruction is to refrain from sinful conduct (agha-karma).