Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 74

Devanagari script

चूर्णपत्रे त्वया वासः सदा कार्यो दरिद्र भोः । तांबूलस्य तु पर्णाग्रे भार्यया मम वाक्यतः

Transliteration

cūrṇapatre tvayā vāsaḥ sadā kāryo daridra bhoḥ | tāṃbūlasya tu parṇāgre bhāryayā mama vākyataḥ

Translation

«Ô pauvre homme, tu devras toujours demeurer dans la feuille réduite en poudre. Et, selon mon ordre, que mon épouse reste à la pointe de la feuille de tāmbūla (bétel).»

Word by Word

• चूर्णपत्रे: on the cūrṇa-leaf
• चूर्णपत्रे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चूर्णपत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (कर्मधारय/षष्ठीभावः) 'चूर्णं पत्रं यस्मिन्/चूर्णस्य पत्रम्'—here locative 'on/in the powdered leaf'

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया, एकवचन; instrumental singular

• वासः: dwelling; residence
• वासः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; nominative singular

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• कार्यः: should be done; must be made
• कार्यः: Vidhi (Obligation/विधि)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कार्य (प्रातिपदिक; √कृ-णीयत्)
• Form: कृत्य-प्रत्यय (णीयत्/यत्-भाव), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; predicate adjective 'to be done/should be made' agreeing with वासः

• दरिद्र: O poor man
• दरिद्र: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दरिद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन; vocative

• भोः: O!
• भोः: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भोः (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्बोधन-निपात (vocative particle)

• ताम्बूलस्य: of betel
• ताम्बूलस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ताम्बूल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन; genitive singular

• तु: but; indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (contrast/emphasis)

• पर्णाग्रे: at the tip of the leaf
• पर्णाग्रे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर्ण + अग्र (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः) 'पर्णस्य अग्रे'

• भार्यया: by (my) wife
• भार्यया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भार्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; instrumental singular

• मम: my
• मम: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी, एकवचन; genitive singular

• वाक्यतः: by (my) command; as per my words
• वाक्यतः: Hetu (Cause/Authority/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वाक्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (ablatival adverb) = 'वाक्यात्' / 'by the word/command'

Speaker

Pitāmaha (Brahmā)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Brahmā instructs the poor man with cryptic specificity: dwell in powdered leaf; place 'my wife' at the tip of the betel leaf—allegorical placement of poverty and its companion into the wealthy’s consumables.

Characters & Entities

• Pitāmaha (Brahmā)
• daridra
• bhāryā (Brahmā’s wife, i.e., Sarasvatī—implied)
• tāmbūla

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Seemingly small, neglected ‘places’ (details) can become entry-points for doṣa; purity and care in habits are emphasized.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is named in this verse; it functions as an instructive segment within the larger Tīrthamāhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It is not a ritual injunction but an allegorical placement of forces (poverty/fortune) within the components of tāmbūla.