Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 51
यदि लाभे न यत्नस्ते मूलं रक्ष प्रयत्नतः । महता पुण्यमूल्येन क्रीयते कायनौस्त्वया
yadi lābhe na yatnaste mūlaṃ rakṣa prayatnataḥ | mahatā puṇyamūlyena krīyate kāyanaustvayā
Selbst wenn du dich nicht um weiteren Gewinn bemühst, bewahre wenigstens das Grundkapital mit aller Anstrengung. Denn dieses „Boot des Leibes“ hast du um den hohen Preis angesammelten Verdienstes (puṇya) erworben.
Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) addressing the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa frame)
Listener: Śaunaka and the Naimiṣāraṇya sages (frame)
Scene: A contemplative teacher points to a small boat labeled ‘śarīra’ on a river of saṃsāra; coins or a ledger marked ‘puṇya’ indicate the ‘price’ paid for embodiment; the student holds a vessel of water and a rosary, symbolizing preservation and practice.
FAQs
Human embodiment is a rare asset earned by puṇya; one must protect and use it carefully for spiritual progress.
No tīrtha is named; the verse employs a universal metaphor of the body as a boat.
No explicit ritual; the instruction is vigilant self-care and disciplined living to preserve one’s spiritual ‘capital’.