Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 38

Devanagari script

न धनं पैतृकं पुत्रैर्न पिता पुत्रपौत्रिकम् । भुञ्जते सकलं कालमित्येवं शङ्करोऽब्रवीत्

Transliteration

na dhanaṃ paitṛkaṃ putrairna pitā putrapautrikam | bhuñjate sakalaṃ kālamityevaṃ śaṅkaro'bravīt

Translation

„Weder genießen die Söhne das väterliche Erbe, noch genießt der Vater den Besitz von Söhnen und Enkeln, durch die ganze Zeit hindurch“—so sprach Śaṅkara (Śiva).

Word by Word

• न: not
• न: Pratiṣedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• धनम्: wealth
• धनम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• पैतृकम्: paternal/ancestral
• पैतृकम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पैतृक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Neuter, Accusative, Singular; धनम्-विशेषण

• पुत्रैः: by the sons
• पुत्रैः: Kartā (Agent, expressed instrumentally)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• न: nor/not
• न: Pratiṣedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• पिता: the father
• पिता: Kartā (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• पुत्रपौत्रिकम्: (wealth) belonging to sons and grandsons
• पुत्रपौत्रिकम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक) + पौत्रिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वन्द्व-समास (पुत्राश्च पौत्राश्च); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• भुञ्जते: enjoy/use
• भुञ्जते: Kriyā (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भुज् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन, आत्मनेपद — Present, 3rd person, Plural (Ātmanepada)

• सकलम्: entire
• सकलम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सकल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Neuter, Accusative, Singular; कालम्-विशेषण

• कालम्: time
• कालम्: Kāla (Duration)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (काल-अत्यन्तसंयोग), एकवचन — Masculine, Accusative, Singular (duration)

• इति: thus
• इति: Vākyārtha-sūcaka (Quotation marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/समाप्त्यर्थक-अव्यय (quotative particle)

• एवम्: in this way
• एवम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (manner adverb)

• शङ्करः: Śaṅkara (Śiva)
• शङ्करः: Kartā (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शङ्कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अब्रवीत्: said
• अब्रवीत्: Kriyā (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लुङ् (Aorist/Imperfective past), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद — Aorist, 3rd person, Singular

Speaker

Śaṅkara (Śiva) (explicit)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva as Śaṅkara delivering calm instruction—seated in yogic poise, crescent moon and gaṅgā in hair; listeners attentive; symbolic piles of coins shown as transient (scattering or fading).

Characters & Entities

• Śaṅkara (Śiva)
• Pitṛ (father)
• Putra (son)
• Pautra (grandson)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Wealth is unstable across generations; one should practice dharma and detachment rather than rely on inheritance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This is a doctrinal bridge within the Revā-khaṇḍa narrative, preceding tīrtha-specific merit statements.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a teaching (upadeśa) on artha’s impermanence.