Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 61

Devanagari script

जलगोशकटारामयाञ्चावृद्धिवणिक्क्रियाः । अनूपं पर्वतो राजा दुर्भिक्षे जीविका स्मृताः

Transliteration

jalagośakaṭārāmayāñcāvṛddhivaṇikkriyāḥ | anūpaṃ parvato rājā durbhikṣe jīvikā smṛtāḥ

Translation

In Zeiten der Hungersnot gelten als Mittel des Lebensunterhalts: Arbeit mit Wasser (Wassertragen/Bewässerung), Viehhaltung, Transport mit Wagen, gefälliger Dienst zur Unterhaltung, Betteln, Verleih gegen Zins und Handel. Ebenso wird das Wohnen in sumpfigen Gegenden, in den Bergen oder unter dem Schutz eines Königs als Weg zum Überleben in der Knappheit gezählt.

Word by Word

• जल: water
• जल: Karta (Listed item/उद्देश्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समुच्चय-गणनायाम् (सूची)

• गो: cow; cattle
• गो: Karta (Listed item/उद्देश्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सूची

• शकट: cart; wagon
• शकट: Karta (Listed item/उद्देश्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शकट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सूची

• आराम: garden; grove
• आराम: Karta (Listed item/उद्देश्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आराम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सूची

• यानि: which (things)
• यानि: Sambandha (Relative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सम्बन्धक-सर्वनाम (relative)

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

• अ-वृद्धि: non-increase; no interest (no usury)
• अ-वृद्धि: Karta (Listed item/उद्देश्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अ (नञ्) + वृद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; नञ्-तत्पुरुष (वृद्धिर् न)

• वणिक्-क्रियाः: merchant-activities; trade practices
• वणिक्-क्रियाः: Karta (Listed item/उद्देश्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वणिक् (प्रातिपदिक) + क्रिया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (वणिजः क्रियाः)

• अनूपम्: marshland; watery lowland
• अनूपम्: Karta (Listed item/उद्देश्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सूची

• पर्वतः: mountain
• पर्वतः: Karta (Listed item/उद्देश्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर्वत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सूची

• राजा: king
• राजा: Karta (Listed item/उद्देश्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सूची

• दुर्भिक्षे: in famine
• दुर्भिक्षे: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुर्भिक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन

• जीविकाः: livelihoods; means of subsistence
• जीविकाः: Karta (Predicate-nominative/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जीविका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• स्मृताः: are regarded (as)
• स्मृताः: Kriya (Copular/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृ (धातु) + क्त (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; कर्मणि-भावे ‘स्मृताः’ = ‘are considered’

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A famine-stricken landscape near the Prabhāsa coast: people drawing water, herding cattle, carts moving grain, merchants weighing goods, and a distant hill/fort of a king offering refuge; the mood is austere and instructional.

Characters & Entities

• Rājā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma recognizes calamity: survival options expand during famine, while still framing them as regulated, time-bound necessities.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The teaching is situated in Prabhāsa-kṣetra’s māhātmya narrative; it supports dharmic living even amid regional hardship.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite; it lists āpaddharma livelihoods permitted/remembered during durbhikṣa (famine).