Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 97

Devanagari script

भुवि मानुषतां प्राप्य कृपणो जायते पुनः । पादुकोपानहौ छत्रं शय्यां प्रावरणानि च

Transliteration

bhuvi mānuṣatāṃ prāpya kṛpaṇo jāyate punaḥ | pādukopānahau chatraṃ śayyāṃ prāvaraṇāni ca

Translation

Ayant obtenu la naissance humaine sur la terre, il renaît encore en avare, s’attachant aux sandales et aux chaussures, au parasol, au lit et aux couvertures comme à ses biens.

Word by Word

• भुवि: on earth
• भुवि: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भुवि (प्रातिपदिक: भू/भुव्)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; अधिकरण (स्थान)

• मानुषताम्: human state/condition
• मानुषताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मानुषता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; कर्म (प्राप्तेः)

• प्राप्य: having attained
• प्राप्य: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial participle/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-आप् (धातु) + ल्यप् (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त/ल्यबन्त अव्ययकृदन्त (Gerund/Absolutive); पूर्वकालिक क्रिया ‘having obtained’

• कृपणः: a miser/wretch
• कृपणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृपण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्ता

• जायते: is born/becomes
• जायते: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: Kriya-viseshana (Adverb/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• पादुक: sandals
• पादुक: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पादुका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), द्विवचन; समाहार-द्वन्द्वस्य अङ्ग (paired item)

• उपानहौ: shoes/footwear
• उपानहौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपानह् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), द्विवचन; समाहार-द्वन्द्वस्य अङ्ग

• छत्रम्: umbrella
• छत्रम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: छत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समुच्चित-कर्ता

• शय्याम्: bed
• शय्याम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शय्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; (सूच्यते/लभ्यते इति) कर्मभाव

• प्रावरणानि: coverings/blankets
• प्रावरणानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रावरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), बहुवचन; समुच्चय

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

Speaker

Skanda (deduced for Avantīkhaṇḍa/Revākhaṇḍa narrative style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) tīrthas (general Revākhaṇḍa frame)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A human reborn as a miser clutching sandals, umbrella, bedding and coverings; the objects loom larger than the person, symbolizing bondage to trivial possessions.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Human birth is meant for dharma and generosity; miserliness (kṛpaṇatā) traps one in repeated, petty-minded rebirth centered on possessions.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse occurs in the Revākhaṇḍa, traditionally associated with the Revā (Narmadā) sacred region; this line itself is a moral warning rather than naming a single tirtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is stated in this verse; it implicitly upholds dāna (charity) by condemning the miser’s attachment to belongings.