Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

तावद्दरिद्रता लोके तावद्गर्जति पातकम् । तावत्क्लेशाः शरीरेऽस्मिन्न यावत्पूजयेद्धरिम्

Transliteration

tāvaddaridratā loke tāvadgarjati pātakam | tāvatkleśāḥ śarīre'sminna yāvatpūjayeddharim

Translation

Tant qu’on n’adore pas Hari, la pauvreté demeure dans le monde, le péché rugit à haute voix, et les afflictions persistent dans ce corps même.

Word by Word

• तावत्: so long/as much
• तावत्: Kāla-parimāṇa (काल/परिमाण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तावत् (परिमाणवाचक-अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; परिमाण/अवधि-वाचक (correlative adverb: ‘so long/that much’)

• दरिद्रता: poverty
• दरिद्रता: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दरिद्रता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• लोके: in the world
• लोके: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तावत्: so long
• तावत्: Kāla-parimāṇa (काल/परिमाण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तावत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; परिमाण/अवधि-वाचक

• गर्जति: roars/resounds
• गर्जति: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √गर्ज् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• पातकम्: sin/evil deed
• पातकम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पातक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (अत्र प्रथमा—कर्ता)

• तावत्: so long
• तावत्: Kāla-parimāṇa (काल/परिमाण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तावत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; परिमाण/अवधि-वाचक

• क्लेशाः: afflictions
• क्लेशाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्लेश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• शरीरे: in the body
• शरीरे: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शरीर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अस्मिन्: in this
• अस्मिन्: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Pratiṣedha (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (निषेध-अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध

• यावत्: until/as long as
• यावत्: Kāla-avadhāraṇa (काल-अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यावत् (सम्बन्ध-अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; यावत्-तावत्-सम्बन्ध (correlative ‘until/as long as’)

• पूजयेत्: should worship
• पूजयेत्: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √पूज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्-लकार (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• हरिम्: Hari (Viṣṇu)
• हरिम्: Karman (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Unknown (Nāgarakhaṇḍa narrative voice)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A householder afflicted by poverty and illness hears a tīrtha-pravacana; as he turns to worship Hari, dark clouds labeled pāpa and kleśa disperse, replaced by a calm radiance.

Characters & Entities

• Hari
• Pātaka
• Daridratā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Neglect of worship sustains suffering; devotion to Hari is presented as the turning point that pacifies sin and distress.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No particular tīrtha is named in this verse; it functions as a concluding exhortation within the broader Tīrthamāhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Worship Hari (pūjā) as the decisive practice to overcome pātaka (sin), kleśa (affliction), and daridratā (poverty).