Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 135

Devanagari script

यथा दरिद्रः कृपणो निधिकुम्भमवाप्य च । सफलं जीवितं मेने महाकालं निरीक्ष्य सः

Transliteration

yathā daridraḥ kṛpaṇo nidhikumbhamavāpya ca | saphalaṃ jīvitaṃ mene mahākālaṃ nirīkṣya saḥ

Translation

Wie ein armer Geizhals, der, nachdem er einen Topf voller Schätze erlangt hat, sein Leben für gelungen hält, so auch hielt er, als er Mahākāla erblickte, sein Leben für erfüllt.

Word by Word

• yathā: just as
• yathā: Sambandha (Simile marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमानवाचक (as/just as)

• daridraḥ: a poor man
• daridraḥ: Karta (Subject of simile/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: daridra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन

• kṛpaṇaḥ: miserly/wretched
• kṛpaṇaḥ: Karta (Qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kṛpaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन; विशेषण (of daridraḥ)

• nidhi-kumbham: a pot of treasure
• nidhi-kumbham: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nidhi (प्रातिपदिक) + kumbha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (nidheḥ kumbhaḥ)

• avāpya: having obtained
• avāpya: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ava + āp (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Gerund/Absolutive); अव्ययभाव; उपसर्ग: अव

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (and)

• saphalam: fruitful
• saphalam: Karma (Predicate complement/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sa-phala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (phala-yuktam)

• jīvitam: life
• jīvitam: Karma (Object of mene/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jīvita (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचन

• mene: considered/thought
• mene: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: man (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect); आत्मनेपद; प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन

• mahākālam: Mahākāla
• mahākālam: Karma (Object of nirīkṣya/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahākāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचन

• nirīkṣya: having beheld
• nirīkṣya: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: nir + īkṣ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Gerund/Absolutive); अव्ययभाव; उपसर्ग: निर्

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन; सर्वनाम

Speaker

Nārada (continuing narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mahākāla (Mahākāleśvara)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A split-imagery simile: on one side a poor man finds a treasure pot; on the other the king beholds Mahākāla, realizing life’s fruitfulness.

Characters & Entities

• Mahākāla
• Darśana
• Nidhi-kumbha (treasure pot)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva-darśana is portrayed as the highest gain—surpassing worldly wealth and making life truly meaningful.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Mahākāla sacred presence (Mahākāla Liṅga/shrine) where darśana is equated with supreme attainment.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is prescribed; the verse extols the fruit of darśana itself.