Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 38

Devanagari script

अन्ये प्रोचुर्धनोमत्ता यूयं च सुखमाश्रिताः । दारिद्यार्तिं न जानीथ ब्रूथ तेन भृशं वचः

Transliteration

anye procurdhanomattā yūyaṃ ca sukhamāśritāḥ | dāridyārtiṃ na jānītha brūtha tena bhṛśaṃ vacaḥ

Translation

D’autres dirent : «Vous êtes enivrés de richesses et vivez dans l’aisance ; vous ne connaissez pas l’angoisse de la pauvreté — voilà pourquoi vous proférez des paroles si dures.»

Word by Word

• अन्ये: others
• अन्ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), बहुवचन

• प्रोचुः: said
• प्रोचुः: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-√वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• धनोमत्ताः: intoxicated with wealth
• धनोमत्ताः: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धन (प्रातिपदिक) + मत्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-तत्पुरुष/उपपद-समास (धनेन मत्ताः = intoxicated by wealth); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; अन्ये इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• यूयम्: you (plural)
• यूयम्: Sambodhana/Address (Vocative sense)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय/and)

• सुखम्: comfort, happiness
• सुखम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; आश्रिताः इत्यस्य कर्म

• आश्रिताः: having resorted to / enjoying
• आश्रिताः: Karta (Subject complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ-√श्रि (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (predicate)

• दारिद्य: of poverty
• दारिद्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दारिद्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th) एकवचन; आर्तिम् इत्यस्य पूर्वपद-सम्बन्धः

• आर्तिम्: distress, suffering
• आर्तिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आर्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय

• जानीथ: you know
• जानीथ: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• ब्रूथ: you speak
• ब्रूथ: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• तेन: therefore / for that reason
• तेन: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययभावे तृतीया-एकवचनरूपम्; हेत्वर्थे (therefore/for that reason)

• भृशम्: excessively, harshly
• भृशम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भृश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (तीव्रतावाचक क्रियाविशेषण)

• वचः: words, speech
• वचः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन (वचस्-शब्दः)

Speaker

Sūta (narration continuing)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A speaker from the ‘others’ faction admonishes the wealthy group; the wealthy appear complacent, while the poor petitioners show visible hardship—thin garments, bowed heads—highlighting the contrast.

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇas
• Wealth/Poverty (Dhana/Dāridrya)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pride in wealth blinds one to others’ suffering; dharma requires empathy and measured speech, especially around charity and sacred duties.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The tīrtha setting frames the debate, but this verse itself highlights ethical conflict rather than naming the site.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual; the discussion is preparatory to dāna (giving) connected with sacred construction.