Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 36

Devanagari script

कामानभिलषन्लोभान्न नरः सुखमेधते । समालभ्य तरुच्छायां भवनं वाञ्छो नरः

Transliteration

kāmānabhilaṣanlobhānna naraḥ sukhamedhate | samālabhya tarucchāyāṃ bhavanaṃ vāñcho naraḥ

Translation

Ein Mensch wächst nicht ins Glück hinein, wenn er aus Gier fortwährend nach Genüssen verlangt. Selbst wenn er den Schatten eines Baumes erreicht, begehrt er noch ein Haus.

Word by Word

• कामान्: desires / objects of desire
• कामान्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

• अभिलषन्: desiring
• अभिलषन्: Karta (Agent as qualifier)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभिलष् (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले कर्तरि शतृ-प्रत्यय (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• लोभात्: from greed / due to greed
• लोभात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: lobha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध

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

• सुखम्: happiness / ease
• सुखम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sukha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणवत् प्रयोगः

• एधते: thrives / prospers
• एधते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: एध् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• समालभ्य: having obtained / having approached
• समालभ्य: Purvakala (Prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम्-आ-लभ् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्यय (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव

• तरुच्छायाम्: tree-shade
• तरुच्छायाम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: taru + chāyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (‘तरुणः छाया’)

• भवनम्: a house
• भवनम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhavana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• वाञ्छः: desiring
• वाञ्छः: Karta (Agent as qualifier)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vāñch (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले कर्तरि शतृ-प्रत्यय (present active participle) ‘वाञ्छन्’ अपेक्षितः; पाठे ‘वाञ्छः’ इति रूपभेद/सन्धि-प्रभावः; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

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

Speaker

Unspecified (didactic verse within the Prabhāsakṣetra-māhātmya narrative context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrimage-inquirer (contextual)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A weary traveler reaches the cool shade of a lone tree on a pilgrim road, yet his mind projects a grand house; the contrast between outer rest and inner craving is emphasized.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Greed keeps the mind dissatisfied; contentment is the basis of real well-being.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This is a general moral teaching embedded in the Prabhāsa-kṣetra māhātmya discourse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual instruction; it advises inner discipline—reducing wants.