Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 37

Devanagari script

तदाप्रभृति ते सर्वे ब्राह्मणा धनवर्जिताः । शापदोषेण कौबेर्यां संजाता दुःखभाजनाः

Transliteration

tadāprabhṛti te sarve brāhmaṇā dhanavarjitāḥ | śāpadoṣeṇa kauberyāṃ saṃjātā duḥkhabhājanāḥ

Translation

Von da an waren all jene Brāhmaṇas ohne Reichtum; durch die Schuld jenes Fluches wurden sie im Bereich Kuberas zu Gefäßen des Leids.

Word by Word

• तदाप्रभृति: from that time onward
• तदाप्रभृति: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय) + प्रभृति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; कालवाचक-अव्यय — indeclinable meaning ‘from then onwards’

• ते: they
• ते: Kartā (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Pronoun, Nominative, Plural

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• ब्राह्मणाः: Brahmins
• ब्राह्मणाः: Kartā (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• धनवर्जिताः: deprived of wealth
• धनवर्जिताः: Viśeṣaṇa (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धन (प्रातिपदिक) + वर्जित (वृज्/वर्ज् धातु, क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (धन-वर्जित); क्त-प्रत्ययान्त विशेषण; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन — Past participle adjective, Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• शापदोषेण: by the fault of the curse
• शापदोषेण: Karaṇa/Hetu (Instrument/Cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शाप (प्रातिपदिक) + दोष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (शापस्य दोषः); पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• कौबेर्याम्: in Kauberī (Kubera’s region/realm)
• कौबेर्याम्: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कौबेर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन — Feminine, Locative, Singular

• संजाताः: became / were born as
• संजाताः: Kriyā-sambandha (Resultant state)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + जन् (धातु) → संजात (क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle) विशेषण; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• दुःखभाजनाः: recipients of suffering
• दुःखभाजनाः: Kartā (Subject complement)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुःख (प्रातिपदिक) + भाजन (भज् धातु, ल्युट्/अन-प्रत्यय; ‘receptacle/recipient’)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (दुःखस्य भाजनम्); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

Śaṅkara (Śiva) (deduced from 133.38)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kubera/Kubereśa kṣetra (implied)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Yudhiṣṭhira

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Once-prosperous brāhmaṇas now shown with empty granaries and worn garments, standing in a region symbolically tied to Kubera—treasure motifs in the background turned dim; sorrow pervades.

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇa
• Kubera

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Spiritual and social decline can follow wrongful acts; wealth and well-being are shown as dharma-dependent in Purāṇic ethics.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kubera-related sacred context is invoked; the adhyāya later names specific tīrthas (e.g., Kubereśa, Yamatīrtha).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; it explains the karmic aftermath (śāpa-doṣa).