Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 91

Devanagari script

न रात्रौ विंदते निद्रा कामाग्निपरिखेदितः । दिवापि हि कुतः सौख्यमर्थोपार्जनचिंतया

Transliteration

na rātrau viṃdate nidrā kāmāgniparikheditaḥ | divāpi hi kutaḥ saukhyamarthopārjanaciṃtayā

Translation

La nuit, celui que brûle le feu du désir ne trouve pas le sommeil. Et le jour, d’où viendrait la joie, quand l’esprit s’inquiète d’amasser des richesses ?

Word by Word

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negative particle)

• rātrau: at night
• rātrau: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rātri (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन — Locative singular

• viṃdate: finds/obtains
• viṃdate: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vid (विद्)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन — Parasmaipada

• nidrā: sleep
• nidrā: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nidrā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन — Nominative singular

• kāmāgni-parikheditaḥ: tormented by the fire of desire
• kāmāgni-parikheditaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kāma (प्रातिपदिक) + agni (प्रातिपदिक) + parikhedita (परिखेदित, कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — Past passive participle (क्त), ‘परिखेदित’ = ‘परिखेद’ धात्वर्थ-जन्य; समासः: कामाग्नि (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष/निर्देश) + परिखेदित (तृतीया-तत्पुरुषभाव: ‘कामाग्निना परिखेदितः’)

• divā: by day
• divā: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: divā (अव्यय/कालवाचक)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• api: also/even
• api: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपि-कारक-अव्यय (particle: also/even)

• hi: indeed/for
• hi: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic/causal particle)

• kutaḥ: how/whence
• kutaḥ: Sambandha (Interrogative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kutaḥ (अव्यय/प्रश्नार्थ)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थ-अव्यय (interrogative: whence/how)

• saukhyam: happiness/comfort
• saukhyam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saukhya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन — Nominative/Accusative singular (context: ‘where is comfort?’)

• artha-upārjana-ciṃtayā: by/through worry about earning wealth
• artha-upārjana-ciṃtayā: Karana (Instrument/Cause/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: artha (प्रातिपदिक) + upārjana (प्रातिपदिक) + ciṃtā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन — Instrumental singular; समासः: अर्थोपार्जन (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘अर्थस्य उपार्जनम्’) + चिन्ता (तत्पुरुष: ‘अर्थोपार्जनस्य चिन्ता’)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narrative convention)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A householder lies awake at night, eyes open, surrounded by flickering flames symbolizing kāma; by day he sits amid ledgers and coins, brow furrowed with artha-cintā, while a serene ascetic silhouette in the background suggests the alternative of śama.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Desire burns away rest at night and wealth-anxiety steals peace by day; lasting happiness comes from dharma-guided restraint and inner contentment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse contrasts worldly agitation with the need for spiritual orientation.