Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 64

Devanagari script

किं धनेन करिष्यंति देहिनो भंगुराश्रयाः । यदर्थं धनमिच्छंति तच्छरीरमशाश्वतम्

Transliteration

kiṃ dhanena kariṣyaṃti dehino bhaṃgurāśrayāḥ | yadarthaṃ dhanamicchaṃti taccharīramaśāśvatam

Translation

Que feront de la richesse les êtres incarnés, appuyés sur un support fragile ? C’est pour ce corps qu’ils désirent les biens, et pourtant ce corps est impermanent.

Word by Word

• kim: what
• kim: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; प्रश्नार्थक सर्वनाम

• dhanena: with wealth
• dhanena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dhana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• kariṣyanti: will do
• kariṣyanti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु); kariṣyanti (तिङन्त)
• Form: लृट् (भविष्यत्), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• dehinaḥ: embodied beings
• dehinaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dehin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• bhaṃgurāśrayāḥ: having a fragile support (body)
• bhaṃgurāśrayāḥ: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhaṃgura (प्रातिपदिक) + āśraya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; कर्मधारय-समासः (भङ्गुरः आश्रयः येषाम्)

• yadartham: for the sake of which
• yadartham: Sambandha (Purpose marker/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + artha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समासः; अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः (for which purpose)

• dhanam: wealth
• dhanam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dhana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• icchanti: desire
• icchanti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: iṣ (धातु); icchanti (तिङन्त)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• tat: that
• tat: Karta (Subject-complement/कर्तृपूरक)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; सर्वनाम; विशेषणरूपेण

• śarīram: body
• śarīram: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śarīra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• aśāśvatam: impermanent
• aśāśvatam: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a- (नञ्) + śāśvata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; नञ्-तत्पुरुषभावः (negated adjective)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) addressing the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa convention)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A contemplative pilgrim stands before a cremation ground edge or a fading silhouette of a body, while holding a small purse; he turns toward a temple where lamps are being offered—wealth redirected from bodily obsession to sacred service.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Wealth pursued for bodily comfort is misguided because the body is fragile and impermanent; one should turn toward dharma and lasting merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; it provides a general purāṇic reflection supporting dāna and detachment.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual is prescribed here; it sets the ethical foundation for dāna by stressing impermanence.