Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 74

Devanagari script

अहो कुबुद्धिना नैव लब्धं संसारजं फलम् । न कदाचिन्मया दत्तं तृष्णाव्याकुलचेतसा

Transliteration

aho kubuddhinā naiva labdhaṃ saṃsārajaṃ phalam | na kadācinmayā dattaṃ tṛṣṇāvyākulacetasā

Translation

Weh mir! Durch meinen törichten Verstand gewann ich keine wahre Frucht aus dem weltlichen Leben. Mit vom Verlangen aufgewühltem Geist gab ich niemals Almosen, nicht ein einziges Mal.

Word by Word

• अहो: alas!/oh!
• अहो: Sambandha (Exclamatory/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अहो (अव्यय)
• Form: विस्मयादिबोधक निपात (exclamation)

• कुबुद्धिना: by bad understanding
• कुबुद्धिना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कु- (उपसर्ग) + बुद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

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

• एव: indeed/at all
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण (emphatic particle)

• लब्धम्: obtained
• लब्धम्: Kriya (Predicate participle/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग (obtained)

• संसारजम्: born of worldly life
• संसारजम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: संसार (प्रातिपदिक) + ज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; पञ्चमी/षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (संसारात्/संसारस्य जातम्)

• फलम्: fruit/result
• फलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

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

• कदाचित्: ever/at any time
• कदाचित्: Kala-adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कदाचित् (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (adverb of time)

• मया: by me
• मया: Kartr (Agent in passive/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• दत्तम्: given
• दत्तम्: Kriya (Predicate participle/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मणि (given)

• तृष्णाव्याकुलचेतसा: with a mind agitated by craving
• तृष्णाव्याकुलचेतसा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तृष्णा (प्रातिपदिक) + व्याकुल (प्रातिपदिक) + चेतस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (चेतस्), तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुष (तृष्णया व्याकुलं चेतः यस्य/येन)

Speaker

Narrative voice within Tīrthamāhātmya (contextual speaker not explicit in the excerpt)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A wealthy man visualized with ornaments and storehouses behind him, yet his face shows emptiness; he gestures in regret, seeing beggars/guests he once ignored; craving is symbolized as a dark serpent or smoke around the heart.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A life driven by craving yields no lasting spiritual fruit; dāna (charity) purifies and gives meaning to worldly prosperity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse occurs within a Tīrthamāhātmya setting, emphasizing dharma around pilgrimage culture, but no single tīrtha-name appears in this line.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Dāna is implied as a neglected duty—giving to worthy recipients as part of dharma associated with tīrtha-visitation.