Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 87

Devanagari script

पूर्वर्द्धिभिः परित्यक्तमात्मानं नावमानयेत् । सदोद्यमवतां यस्माच्छ्रियो विद्या न दुर्लभाः

Transliteration

pūrvarddhibhiḥ parityaktamātmānaṃ nāvamānayet | sadodyamavatāṃ yasmācchriyo vidyā na durlabhāḥ

Translation

Auch wenn dich früherer Wohlstand verlassen hat, verachte dich selbst nicht; denn für die stets Tatkräftigen sind Glück und Wissen nicht schwer zu erlangen.

Word by Word

• पूर्वर्द्धिभिः: by former prosperities
• पूर्वर्द्धिभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूर्व + ऋद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन; समासः कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-प्रायः—पूर्वा ऋद्धयः = पूर्वर्द्धयः; ताभिः = instrumental plural

• परित्यक्तम्: abandoned
• परित्यक्तम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परि-त्यज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; धातु: त्यज् (परित्यागे) उपसर्ग: परि; ‘abandoned/left’ (qualifying ‘ātmānam’)

• आत्मानम्: oneself
• आत्मानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; reflexive sense ‘oneself’

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

• अवमानयेत्: should insult/disrespect
• अवमानयेत्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव-मान् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative/विधिलिङ्), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd/प्रथम), एकवचन; धातु: मान् (पूजायाम्/मानने) उपसर्ग: अव; अर्थः ‘should disrespect/insult’

• सदः: always
• सदः: Kaala (Temporal adverb/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb: always); here in sandhi with following word

• उद्यमवताम्: of the industrious
• उद्यमवताम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उद्यमवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन; ‘udyamavat’ = industrious; here ‘of the industrious’

• यस्मात्: because/from which
• यस्मात्: Hetu (Reason/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन; ‘from which/because’ (causal)

• श्रियो: prosperities
• श्रियो: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन (वैदिक/काव्य-प्रयोगे ‘श्रियो’); ‘prosperities’

• विद्याः: knowledges/learning
• विद्याः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विद्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन

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

• दुर्लभाः: hard to obtain
• दुर्लभाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुर्लभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (of ‘śriyaḥ, vidyāḥ’)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A once-prosperous person in simple clothes bows to a teacher, resumes study and work; behind him, faded symbols of past wealth; ahead, a bright path with books and a lotus of Śrī.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Do not collapse into self-contempt after setbacks; persistent effort aligned with dharma restores knowledge and prosperity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is referenced in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is prescribed; it teaches ethical resolve and steady industriousness (udyama).