Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 97

Devanagari script

भुवि मानुषतां प्राप्य कृपणो जायते पुनः । पादुकोपानहौ छत्रं शय्यां प्रावरणानि च

Transliteration

bhuvi mānuṣatāṃ prāpya kṛpaṇo jāyate punaḥ | pādukopānahau chatraṃ śayyāṃ prāvaraṇāni ca

Translation

ഭൂമിയിൽ മനുഷ്യജന്മം ലഭിച്ചിട്ടും അവൻ വീണ്ടും കൃപണനായി ജനിക്കുന്നു—പാദുക, ചെരിപ്പ്, കുട, ശയ്യ, മൂടുപടങ്ങൾ എന്നിവയെ തന്നെ തന്റെ സമ്പത്തായി കരുതി അതിൽ ആസക്തനാകുന്നു।

Word by Word

• भुवि: on earth
• भुवि: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भुवि (प्रातिपदिक: भू/भुव्)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; अधिकरण (स्थान)

• मानुषताम्: human state/condition
• मानुषताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मानुषता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; कर्म (प्राप्तेः)

• प्राप्य: having attained
• प्राप्य: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial participle/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-आप् (धातु) + ल्यप् (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त/ल्यबन्त अव्ययकृदन्त (Gerund/Absolutive); पूर्वकालिक क्रिया ‘having obtained’

• कृपणः: a miser/wretch
• कृपणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृपण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्ता

• जायते: is born/becomes
• जायते: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: Kriya-viseshana (Adverb/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• पादुक: sandals
• पादुक: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पादुका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), द्विवचन; समाहार-द्वन्द्वस्य अङ्ग (paired item)

• उपानहौ: shoes/footwear
• उपानहौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपानह् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), द्विवचन; समाहार-द्वन्द्वस्य अङ्ग

• छत्रम्: umbrella
• छत्रम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: छत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समुच्चित-कर्ता

• शय्याम्: bed
• शय्याम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शय्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; (सूच्यते/लभ्यते इति) कर्मभाव

• प्रावरणानि: coverings/blankets
• प्रावरणानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रावरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), बहुवचन; समुच्चय

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced for Avantīkhaṇḍa/Revākhaṇḍa narrative style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) tīrthas (general Revākhaṇḍa frame)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A human reborn as a miser clutching sandals, umbrella, bedding and coverings; the objects loom larger than the person, symbolizing bondage to trivial possessions.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Human birth is meant for dharma and generosity; miserliness (kṛpaṇatā) traps one in repeated, petty-minded rebirth centered on possessions.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse occurs in the Revākhaṇḍa, traditionally associated with the Revā (Narmadā) sacred region; this line itself is a moral warning rather than naming a single tirtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is stated in this verse; it implicitly upholds dāna (charity) by condemning the miser’s attachment to belongings.