Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 53

Devanagari script

आयुष्यं च भविष्यं च सर्वमेव वृथागतम् । अतोहं सफलीकर्तुं मानुष्यं चातिचंचलम्

Transliteration

āyuṣyaṃ ca bhaviṣyaṃ ca sarvameva vṛthāgatam | atohaṃ saphalīkartuṃ mānuṣyaṃ cāticaṃcalam

Translation

“عمر بھی اور آنے والا کل بھی—سب کچھ یونہی ضائع گزر جاتا ہے۔ اس لیے اس نہایت بےثبات انسانی زندگی کو بامعنی بنانے کے لیے میں (یہ عزم کرتا ہوں)۔”

Word by Word

• आयुष्यं: life-span
• आयुष्यं: Karta/Topic (कर्ता/विषय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आयुष्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• भविष्यं: future
• भविष्यं: Karta/Topic (कर्ता/विषय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भविष्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय

• सर्वम्: everything
• सर्वम्: Karta/Topic (कर्ता/विषय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘everything’

• एव: indeed / only
• एव: Emphasis (अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (emphasis/only)

• वृथा: in vain
• वृथा: Adverbial (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वृथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण

• आगतम्: has come / has been obtained
• आगतम्: Predicate (विशेषण-प्रधान)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ + गम् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त; क्त (past participle) नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘arrived/obtained’

• अतः: therefore
• अतः: Logical connector (हेतु-फल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तस्मात्-अर्थक (therefore)

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; प्रथमा, एकवचन

• सफलीकर्तुम्: to make fruitful
• सफलीकर्तुम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सफल (प्रातिपदिक) + कृ (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन् (infinitive) अव्यय; ‘to make fruitful/successful’

• मानुष्यं: human life/birth
• मानुष्यं: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मानुष्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय

• अतिचञ्चलम्: very fickle
• अतिचञ्चलम्: Karma qualifier (कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अति (अव्यय/उपसर्ग) + चञ्चल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः (कर्मधारय/उपपद-समासवत्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (मानुष्यं)

Speaker

Tapasvī (ascetic guide)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (implied as the life-fructifying goal)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Internal story addressee (not specified)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A reflective pause: the speaker contemplates the fleeting nature of lifespan and resolves to make life fruitful by decisive action toward Kāśī.

Characters & Entities

• Human life (mānuṣya)
• Impermanence (ati-caṃcala)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Recognize impermanence and deliberately pursue what makes life meaningful—traditionally, dharma and liberation-oriented action.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is implied as the chosen means to ‘make life fruitful,’ continuing the immediate context of Kāśī-prāpti.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is an ethical-spiritual resolve grounded in the fleeting nature of life.