Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 74

Devanagari script

चूर्णपत्रे त्वया वासः सदा कार्यो दरिद्र भोः । तांबूलस्य तु पर्णाग्रे भार्यया मम वाक्यतः

Transliteration

cūrṇapatre tvayā vāsaḥ sadā kāryo daridra bhoḥ | tāṃbūlasya tu parṇāgre bhāryayā mama vākyataḥ

Translation

„O armer Mann, du sollst stets deine Wohnung im zu Pulver zerriebenen Blatt nehmen. Und nach meinem Gebot soll meine Gemahlin an der Spitze des Tāmbūla‑Blattes (Betel) verweilen.“

Word by Word

• चूर्णपत्रे: on the cūrṇa-leaf
• चूर्णपत्रे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चूर्णपत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (कर्मधारय/षष्ठीभावः) 'चूर्णं पत्रं यस्मिन्/चूर्णस्य पत्रम्'—here locative 'on/in the powdered leaf'

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया, एकवचन; instrumental singular

• वासः: dwelling; residence
• वासः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; nominative singular

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• कार्यः: should be done; must be made
• कार्यः: Vidhi (Obligation/विधि)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कार्य (प्रातिपदिक; √कृ-णीयत्)
• Form: कृत्य-प्रत्यय (णीयत्/यत्-भाव), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; predicate adjective 'to be done/should be made' agreeing with वासः

• दरिद्र: O poor man
• दरिद्र: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दरिद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन; vocative

• भोः: O!
• भोः: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भोः (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्बोधन-निपात (vocative particle)

• ताम्बूलस्य: of betel
• ताम्बूलस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ताम्बूल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन; genitive singular

• तु: but; indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (contrast/emphasis)

• पर्णाग्रे: at the tip of the leaf
• पर्णाग्रे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर्ण + अग्र (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः) 'पर्णस्य अग्रे'

• भार्यया: by (my) wife
• भार्यया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भार्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; instrumental singular

• मम: my
• मम: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी, एकवचन; genitive singular

• वाक्यतः: by (my) command; as per my words
• वाक्यतः: Hetu (Cause/Authority/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वाक्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (ablatival adverb) = 'वाक्यात्' / 'by the word/command'

Speaker

Pitāmaha (Brahmā)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brahmā instructs the poor man with cryptic specificity: dwell in powdered leaf; place 'my wife' at the tip of the betel leaf—allegorical placement of poverty and its companion into the wealthy’s consumables.

Characters & Entities

• Pitāmaha (Brahmā)
• daridra
• bhāryā (Brahmā’s wife, i.e., Sarasvatī—implied)
• tāmbūla

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Seemingly small, neglected ‘places’ (details) can become entry-points for doṣa; purity and care in habits are emphasized.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is named in this verse; it functions as an instructive segment within the larger Tīrthamāhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It is not a ritual injunction but an allegorical placement of forces (poverty/fortune) within the components of tāmbūla.