Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

दारिद्र्यं मरणं दुःखमृणभारं नगोपमम् । सद्यो विधूय संपद्भिः पूज्यते शिवपूजनात्

Transliteration

dāridryaṃ maraṇaṃ duḥkhamṛṇabhāraṃ nagopamam | sadyo vidhūya saṃpadbhiḥ pūjyate śivapūjanāt

Translation

Armut, Todesgefahr, Leid und die berggleiche Last der Schulden—schüttelt man dies sogleich ab, wird man inmitten von Wohlstand geehrt durch die Verehrung Śivas.

Word by Word

• दारिद्र्यम्: poverty
• दारिद्र्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दारिद्र्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• मरणम्: death
• मरणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• दुःखम्: sorrow
• दुःखम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुःख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• ऋणभारम्: burden of debt
• ऋणभारम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋण + भार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः ‘ऋणस्य भारः’

• नगोपमम्: mountain-like (huge)
• नगोपमम्: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नग + उपम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; उपमान-तत्पुरुषः ‘नग इव उपमम्’ (mountain-like)

• सद्यः: immediately
• सद्यः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सद्यः (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• विधूय: having shaken off/removed
• विधूय: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: धू (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), ‘विधूय’ = वि-धू + क्त्वा; अव्ययभाव

• संपद्भिः: with prosperities/wealth
• संपद्भिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संपद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• पूज्यते: is honored/worshipped
• पूज्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पूज् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), कर्मणि-प्रयोग (Passive), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• शिवपूजनात्: because of worship of Śiva
• शिवपूजनात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव + पूजन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः ‘शिवस्य पूजनम्’

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic voice; not explicit in the snippet)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A debtor weighed down by a mountain-like ledger/stone is shown offering Śiva-pūjā; the burden cracks and falls away; prosperity symbols (grain, coins, cloth) appear, and community members honor him.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Debt (ṛṇa)
• Prosperity (saṃpad)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva devotion is praised as both spiritually and materially transformative—dispelling hardship and granting honor and well-being.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific site is mentioned; the verse focuses on the fruits of śiva-pūjā.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Śiva-pūjana (worship of Śiva), in the pradoṣa-māhātmya context.