Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

लक्ष्म्या हीनस्य लोकस्य लोकेऽस्मिन्व्यर्थतां व्रजेत् । जीवितं मुनिशार्दूल विज्ञातं हि मयाऽधुना

Transliteration

lakṣmyā hīnasya lokasya loke'sminvyarthatāṃ vrajet | jīvitaṃ muniśārdūla vijñātaṃ hi mayā'dhunā

Translation

In dieser Welt gleitet das Leben dessen, der Lakṣmī (Wohlstand und glückverheißendes Geschick) entbehrt, in Sinnlosigkeit ab. O Tiger unter den Weisen, nun habe ich wahrhaft erkannt, was Leben ist.

Word by Word

• लक्ष्म्या: by fortune/prosperity
• लक्ष्म्या: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लक्ष्मी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन

• हीनस्य: of one deprived (of)
• हीनस्य: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हीन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन; ‘लोकस्य’ इति विशेषणम्

• लोकस्य: of the world/person
• लोकस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• लोके: in the world
• लोके: Adhikarana (Place/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• अस्मिन्: in this
• अस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन; ‘लोके’ इति विशेषणम्

• व्यर्थताम्: to futility/meaninglessness
• व्यर्थताम्: Gati-Karma (Goal/Object of motion)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्यर्थता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• व्रजेत्: would go/should go
• व्रजेत्: Kriya (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: व्रज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• जीवितम्: life
• जीवितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जीवित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• मुनिशार्दूल: O tiger among sages
• मुनिशार्दूल: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि + शार्दूल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (मुनिनां शार्दूलः = tiger among sages)

• विज्ञातम्: has been understood/known
• विज्ञातम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + ज्ञा (धातु) + ज्ञात (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘जीवितम्’ इति कर्तृ/विषयपदेन सह

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle: indeed)

• मया: by me
• मया: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन

• अधुना: now
• अधुना: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अधुना (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: now)

Speaker

Ānarta (contextual continuation of his lament)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A humbled king speaks to a sage: his ornaments removed, posture weary; a faint, departing figure of Lakṣmī (symbolic) or dimmed royal emblems suggest loss of auspicious fortune and dawning insight.

Characters & Entities

• Lakṣmī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Worldly respect and purpose often follow fortune; recognizing this instability can awaken discernment and detachment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is named in this verse; it serves as moral reflection within the Tīrthamāhātmya narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse is a contemplative statement about fortune and human life.