Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 34

Devanagari script

दरिद्रोपहता यद्वद्धनं वांछंति मानवाः । पितरस्तद्वदिच्छंति क्षुत्क्षामाश्चन्द्रसं क्षयम्

Transliteration

daridropahatā yadvaddhanaṃ vāṃchaṃti mānavāḥ | pitarastadvadicchaṃti kṣutkṣāmāścandrasaṃ kṣayam

Translation

De même que les hommes frappés par la pauvreté désirent la richesse, ainsi les Pitṛs, consumés par la faim et le manque, désirent le déclin de la Lune (l’occasion de la nouvelle lune).

Word by Word

• दरिद्र-उपहता: struck/afflicted by poverty
• दरिद्र-उपहता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दरिद्र (प्रातिपदिक) + उप-हन् (धातु) → उपहत (कृदन्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; ‘दरिद्रेण उपहताः’ इति तृतीया-तत्पुरुषः; उपहत = क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle)

• यद्वत्: just as
• यद्वत्: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यद्वत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमानार्थक-सम्बन्धसूचक (as/just as)

• धनम्: wealth
• धनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• वाञ्छन्ति: desire
• वाञ्छन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वाञ्छ् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• मानवाः: people
• मानवाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मानव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• पितरः: the ancestors (pitṛs)
• पितरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• तद्वत्: likewise
• तद्वत्: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद्वत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; ‘तद् + वत्’ (like that)

• इच्छन्ति: desire
• इच्छन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: इष्/इच्छ् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• क्षुत्-क्षामाः: wasted by hunger
• क्षुत्-क्षामाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्षुत् (प्रातिपदिक) + क्षाम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; ‘क्षुता क्षामाः’/‘क्षुत्या क्षामाः’ इत्यर्थे (hunger-wasted)

• चन्द्र-सम्: moon-like
• चन्द्र-सम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक) + सम् (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; ‘चन्द्रसमम्’ इत्यर्थे (moon-like); पाठे ‘चन्द्रसं’ = चन्द्रसमम् (sandhi/shortening)

• क्षयम्: waning; diminution
• क्षयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

Speaker

Unspecified (didactic narrator within Tīrthamāhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahārāja (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A poor family gazes at a small heap of coins/food with longing; mirrored by subtle Pitṛ figures gazing toward a śrāddha plate under a dark moon; the householder bridges the worlds by offering food and water.

Characters & Entities

• Pitaras
• Candra (Moon)
• Amāvāsyā (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Human longing is used as an analogy to stress the urgency of feeding and satisfying ancestors through timely rites.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse supports the broader Tīrthamāhātmya theme of merit in properly-timed rites; no single tirtha is named in this line.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform pitṛ offerings around candrasaṃkṣaya (amāvāsyā/new moon), when the Pitṛs are said to be in greatest need.