Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 36

Devanagari script

कामानभिलषन्लोभान्न नरः सुखमेधते । समालभ्य तरुच्छायां भवनं वाञ्छो नरः

Transliteration

kāmānabhilaṣanlobhānna naraḥ sukhamedhate | samālabhya tarucchāyāṃ bhavanaṃ vāñcho naraḥ

Translation

L’homme ne s’épanouit pas dans le bonheur lorsque, par avidité, il convoite sans cesse les plaisirs. Même parvenu à l’ombre d’un arbre, il désire encore une maison.

Word by Word

• कामान्: desires / objects of desire
• कामान्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

• अभिलषन्: desiring
• अभिलषन्: Karta (Agent as qualifier)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभिलष् (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले कर्तरि शतृ-प्रत्यय (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• लोभात्: from greed / due to greed
• लोभात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: lobha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• सुखम्: happiness / ease
• सुखम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sukha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणवत् प्रयोगः

• एधते: thrives / prospers
• एधते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: एध् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• समालभ्य: having obtained / having approached
• समालभ्य: Purvakala (Prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम्-आ-लभ् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्यय (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव

• तरुच्छायाम्: tree-shade
• तरुच्छायाम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: taru + chāyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (‘तरुणः छाया’)

• भवनम्: a house
• भवनम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhavana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• वाञ्छः: desiring
• वाञ्छः: Karta (Agent as qualifier)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vāñch (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले कर्तरि शतृ-प्रत्यय (present active participle) ‘वाञ्छन्’ अपेक्षितः; पाठे ‘वाञ्छः’ इति रूपभेद/सन्धि-प्रभावः; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

Speaker

Unspecified (didactic verse within the Prabhāsakṣetra-māhātmya narrative context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrimage-inquirer (contextual)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A weary traveler reaches the cool shade of a lone tree on a pilgrim road, yet his mind projects a grand house; the contrast between outer rest and inner craving is emphasized.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Greed keeps the mind dissatisfied; contentment is the basis of real well-being.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This is a general moral teaching embedded in the Prabhāsa-kṣetra māhātmya discourse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual instruction; it advises inner discipline—reducing wants.