Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 102

Devanagari script

जपहोमप्रदानैश्च कालमृत्युर्न शाम्यति । विविधा व्याधयः शस्ताः सर्पाद्याः प्राणिनस्तथा

Transliteration

japahomapradānaiśca kālamṛtyurna śāmyati | vividhā vyādhayaḥ śastāḥ sarpādyāḥ prāṇinastathā

Translation

纵以持诵（japa）、火供（homa）与布施，随“时”而至的死亡亦不消退。诸般疾病、兵刃之伤，以及蛇等众生，亦皆为趋死之因。

Word by Word

• जपहोमप्रदानैः: by japa, homa, and gifts
• जपहोमप्रदानैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जप (प्रातिपदिक) + होम (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रदान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; समाहार-द्वन्द्व (जप-होम-प्रदानानि) तृतीया-बहुवचन; करण

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चयबोधक conjunction)

• कालमृत्युः: death due to time (inevitable death)
• कालमृत्युः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक) + मृत्यु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (कालस्य मृत्युḥ / कालरूपः मृत्युḥ)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निषेध particle)

• शाम्यति: is pacified/subsides
• शाम्यति: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √शम् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• विविधाः: various
• विविधाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विविध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषण

• व्याधयः: diseases
• व्याधयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्याधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• शस्ताः: are declared/considered (as)
• शस्ताः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √शंस्/√शस् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/स्त्रीलिङ्ग प्रथमा, बहुवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; 'commended/approved' (here: 'recognized as')

• सर्पाद्याः: beginning with snakes, etc.
• सर्पाद्याः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्प (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष (सर्पः आदिः येषाम्) = 'beginning with snakes'

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

• तथा: likewise/also
• तथा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (उपमान/समुच्चयार्थ adverb: 'likewise/also')

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) (deduced from Māheśvara-khaṇḍa context)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A teaching tableau showing ritual acts (japa beads, homa fire, dāna) on one side, and the looming figure of Kāla with a wheel/hourglass on the other; below, vignettes of disease, weapon injury, and serpent encounter as secondary causes.

Characters & Entities

• Kāla

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual merit is valuable, yet the time-appointed end cannot be postponed; therefore one should pursue dharma with urgency and right understanding.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is praised in this verse; it is a general doctrinal statement about Kāla and mortality.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Japa (mantra repetition), homa (fire oblations), and pradāna/dāna (giving) are named, though the verse states they do not avert kāla-mṛtyu.