Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

दारिद्र्यदुःखरुक्छोकान्मानवः सेवते कथम् । ब्रह्मकुण्डमनुप्राप्य कल्पवृक्षमिवापरम्

Transliteration

dāridryaduḥkharukchokānmānavaḥ sevate katham | brahmakuṇḍamanuprāpya kalpavṛkṣamivāparam

Translation

Wie könnte ein Mensch noch Armut, Leid, Krankheit und Kummer ertragen, nachdem er Brahmakuṇḍa erreicht hat—gleichsam wie einen weiteren kalpavṛkṣa, den Wunsch erfüllenden Baum?

Word by Word

• dāridrya-duḥkha-ruk-śokān: poverty, suffering, disease, and grief (as objects)
• dāridrya-duḥkha-ruk-śokān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dāridrya+duḥkha+ruk+śoka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन; द्वन्द्वसमास (समाहार/इतरेतर)

• mānavaḥ: a man, human
• mānavaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mānava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• sevate: serves, resorts to, experiences
• sevate: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √sev (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• katham: how?
• katham: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: katham (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रश्नवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (interrogative adverb)

• brahmakuṇḍam: Brahma-kuṇḍa (sacred pond)
• brahmakuṇḍam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahma-kuṇḍa (प्रातिपदिक; ब्रह्म + कुण्ड)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• anuprāpya: having reached
• anuprāpya: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: anu+√prāp (धातु) + lyap (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: अव्ययभाव-क्त्वान्त (ल्यप्/क्त्वा), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (absolutive/gerund)

• kalpavṛkṣam: the wish-fulfilling tree
• kalpavṛkṣam: Upamāna (Standard of comparison)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kalpa-vṛkṣa (प्रातिपदिक; कल्प + वृक्ष)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• iva: like
• iva: Upamā (Comparison marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमावाचक-निपात (comparative particle)

• aparam: another, second
• aparam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: apara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण (kalpavṛkṣam)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from continuing māhātmya praise)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Brahmakuṇḍa

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim approaches a luminous stepped pond (kuṇḍa) within Prabhāsa; the water shines like liquid crystal; a kalpavṛkṣa appears symbolically behind, while personified Poverty, Disease, and Grief retreat into shadow.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmakuṇḍa
• Kalpavṛkṣa
• Dāridrya
• Duḥkha
• Ruk
• Śoka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Contact with a great tīrtha is portrayed as transformative—dispelling both worldly afflictions and inner sorrow.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Brahmakuṇḍa at Prabhāsa Kṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is stated here; the emphasis is on reaching (pilgrimage to) Brahmakuṇḍa and receiving its grace.