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 a time of famine, these are remembered as means of livelihood: work with water (carrying/irrigation), tending cattle, transport by carts, pleasing service, begging, lending at interest, and trade. Likewise, dwelling in marshlands, on mountains, or under a king’s protection is also counted as a way to survive in scarcity.

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).