Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 40

Devanagari script

वित्तशाठ्यं न कर्तव्यं कुर्वन्दारिद्र्यमाप्नुयात् । त्रिःकृत्वा प्रपठञ्छृण्वंन्सर्वान्कामानवाप्नुयात्

Transliteration

vittaśāṭhyaṃ na kartavyaṃ kurvandāridryamāpnuyāt | triḥkṛtvā prapaṭhañchṛṇvaṃnsarvānkāmānavāpnuyāt

Translation

Qu’on ne pratique pas l’avarice envers la richesse : qui agit ainsi tombe dans la pauvreté. Mais en le récitant et en l’écoutant trois fois, on peut obtenir tous les buts désirés.

Word by Word

• वित्तशाठ्यम्: deceit regarding wealth
• वित्तशाठ्यम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वित्त + शाठ्य (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; निषेध्य-विषयः (topic of prohibition)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• कर्तव्यम्: to be done/should be done
• कर्तव्यम्: Kriya (Obligation/क्रिया-भाव)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु) + तव्यत् (कृत्प्रत्यय)
• Form: तव्यत्-कृदन्त (gerundive/obligatory), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषणम्

• कुर्वन्: doing
• कुर्वन्: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्यय (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्तरि (agent)

• दारिद्र्यम्: poverty
• दारिद्र्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दारिद्र्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; कर्मपदम्

• आप्नुयात्: would attain
• आप्नुयात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आप् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• त्रिः: thrice
• त्रिः: Adverbial (Kriyāviśeṣaṇa/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: त्रिः (अव्यय)
• Form: संख्यावाचक-अव्यय (numeral adverb)

• कृत्वा: having done
• कृत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्यय (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव

• प्रपठन्: reciting
• प्रपठन्: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र- पठ् (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्यय (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• शृण्वन्: listening
• शृण्वन्: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्यय (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• सर्वान्: all
• सर्वान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; विशेषणम्

• कामान्: desires
• कामान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; कर्मपदम्

• अवाप्नुयात्: would obtain
• अवाप्नुयात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव-आप् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

Speaker

Īśvara

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-māhātmya (triḥ-śravaṇa/triḥ-pāṭha observance)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Two-part moral tableau: on one side a miser clutching coins, shown shrinking into poverty; on the other side devotees reciting/hearing thrice, with offerings given freely, resulting in abundance and calm joy.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Wealth should be used righteously and generously; spiritual practice and charity together support prosperity and well-being.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This is the concluding phalaśruti for the Vastrāpathakṣetra narrative within Prabhāsa-kṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Avoid miserliness; perform triḥ-śravaṇa and triḥ-pāṭha (hearing and reciting three times) for fulfilment of aims.