Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 36

Devanagari script

निर्विण्णोऽहं मुनिश्रेष्ठ जीवितस्य च सांप्रतम् । तस्माद्ब्रूहि किमर्थं मे दारिद्र्यं समुपस्थितम्

Transliteration

nirviṇṇo'haṃ muniśreṣṭha jīvitasya ca sāṃpratam | tasmādbrūhi kimarthaṃ me dāridryaṃ samupasthitam

Translation

O Bester der Weisen, jetzt bin ich des Lebens selbst überdrüssig geworden. Darum sage mir: Warum ist Armut über mich gekommen?

Word by Word

• निर्विण्णः: disgusted, weary
• निर्विण्णः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nirviṇṇa (कृदन्त; √vid/√vind? निर्विद् भावे—निर्+√विद्/विन्द्, क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त विशेषण (past passive participle)

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, उत्तमपुरुष-सूचक; प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• मुनिश्रेष्ठ: O best of sages
• मुनिश्रेष्ठ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: muni + śreṣṭha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन; पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (मुनिनां श्रेष्ठः)

• जीवितस्य: of (my) life
• जीवितस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jīvita (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

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

• सांप्रतम्: now, at present
• सांप्रतम्: Adhikarana (Temporal locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sāṃprata (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तस्मात्-इति हेत्वर्थे अव्ययीभूत-प्रयोगः (ablatival adverb: 'therefore/from that')

• ब्रूहि: tell (me)
• ब्रूहि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √brū (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• किमर्थम्: for what reason? why?
• किमर्थम्: Prashna (Interrogative/प्रश्न)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kim + artha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (interrogative adverb); तत्पुरुष-समासः (किम् अर्थम्)

• मे: to me / for me
• मे: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; चतुर्थी (4th/Dative) एकवचन (enclitic)

• दारिद्र्यम्: poverty
• दारिद्र्यम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dāridrya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• समुपस्थितम्: has come upon, has arisen
• समुपस्थितम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-upa-√sthā (धातु) + upasthita (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; दारिद्र्यं इति कर्तरि विशेषणवत्

Speaker

Unspecified petitioner/king (contextual; addressed to a sage)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A distressed, impoverished figure—once royal—stands with bowed head before a serene muni in a forest āśrama; sparse belongings, a begging bowl, and a faint suggestion of former regalia evoke fallen fortune.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Suffering prompts inquiry into karma and dharma; seeking wise counsel is the first step toward clarity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is referenced in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a question seeking causation and guidance.