Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 111
Devanagari script
तस्यार्धमायुषो रात्रिर्हरते मृत्युरूपिणी । बालभावेन मोहेन वार्धके जरया तथा
Transliteration
tasyārdhamāyuṣo rātrirharate mṛtyurūpiṇī | bālabhāvena mohena vārdhake jarayā tathā
Translation
其寿命之半，亦为黑夜所夺——黑夜即死亡之相。余下之时，又在童年因稚昧迷惑而耗散，在老年因衰朽之苦而消磨。
Word by Word
तस्यof him/of that
तस्य:
Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
TypeNoun
Rootतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्गे/नपुंसकलिङ्गे, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन (Singular)
अर्धम्half
अर्धम्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootअर्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन
आयुषःof lifespan
आयुषः:
Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
TypeNoun
Rootआयुस् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन
रात्रिःnight
रात्रिः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootरात्रि (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन
हरतेtakes away
हरते:
Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootहृ (धातु)
Formलट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद
मृत्युरूपिणीhaving the form of death
मृत्युरूपिणी:
Karta (Subject-apposition/कर्ता-विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootमृत्यु (प्रातिपदिक) + रूपिणी (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (मृत्युः एव रूपम् यस्याः/मृत्युरूपा)
बालभावेनby childhood-state
बालभावेन:
Karana (Instrument/करण)
TypeNoun
Rootबाल (प्रातिपदिक) + भाव (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (बालस्य भावः)
मोहेनby delusion
मोहेन:
Karana (Instrument/करण)
TypeNoun
Rootमोह (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन
वार्धकेin old age
वार्धके:
Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootवार्धक (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन
जरयाby decay/aging
जरया:
Karana (Instrument/करण)
TypeNoun
Rootजरा (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन
तथाlikewise/and so
तथा:
Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतथा (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; अव्यय-प्रकारः—समुच्चय/उपमानार्थक-अव्यय (adverb: likewise/so)
Speaker
Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages
Visual Art Cues
Scene: An allegorical scene: Night as a dark, veiled figure silently taking away half of a man’s lifespan; beside him a child lost in play (moha) and an aged figure bent with jarā, showing the remaining life slipping away like sand.
FAQs
Life is effectively shortened by sleep, delusion, and aging; therefore one should use the waking, capable years for Dharma and spiritual striving.
No Tīrtha is mentioned in this verse.
None; it is a reflective teaching meant to inspire urgency and discipline.