Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 82

Devanagari script

पूर्वर्द्धिभिः परित्यक्तमात्मानं नावमानयेत् । सदोद्यमवतां यस्माच्छ्रियो विद्या न दुर्लभाः

Transliteration

pūrvarddhibhiḥ parityaktamātmānaṃ nāvamānayet | sadodyamavatāṃ yasmācchriyo vidyā na durlabhāḥ

Translation

മുൻസമൃദ്ധി വിട്ടുപോയാലും സ്വയം അവമാനിക്കരുത്; കാരണം സദാ പരിശ്രമിക്കുന്നവർക്ക് ശ്രീ (ലക്ഷ്മി)യും വിദ്യയും ദുർലഭമല്ല.

Word by Word

• pūrva-ṛddhibhiḥ: by previous prosperities/wealth
• pūrva-ṛddhibhiḥ: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pūrva (प्रातिपदिक) + ṛddhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया) बहुवचनम्; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (पूर्वस्य ऋद्धयः) ; Instrumental plural: “by former prosperities”

• parityaktam: abandoned
• parityaktam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pari-√tyaj (त्यज् धातु)
• Form: कृदन्तः—क्त (past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया) एकवचनम्; “abandoned/left” (agreeing with ātmānam)

• ātmānam: oneself
• ātmānam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया) एकवचनम्; reflexive noun “self”

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्ययम् (negative particle)

• avamānayet: should insult
• avamānayet: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ava-√mān (मान् धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative/विधिलिङ्), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd person), एकवचनम्; causative sense “should dishonour/insult”

• sadā-udyamavatām: of those always industrious
• sadā-udyamavatām: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sadā (अव्यय) + udyamavat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी) बहुवचनम्; समासः—अव्ययीभावः (सदा + उद्यमवत्) “always industrious”; Genitive plural: “of the always industrious”

• yasmāt: because/from which reason
• yasmāt: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (यद् सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी) एकवचनम्; relative pronoun “from which/for which reason”

• śriyaḥ: prosperities
• śriyaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śrī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा) बहुवचनम् (वैकल्पिकरूपेण); “prosperities/fortunes”

• vidyāḥ: learning/knowledge
• vidyāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vidyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा) बहुवचनम्; “knowledges/learning”

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्ययम् (negative particle)

• durlabhāḥ: hard to obtain
• durlabhāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dur-labha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा) बहुवचनम्; विशेषणम् (śriyaḥ/vidyāḥ) “hard to obtain”

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim in Kāśī, having lost wealth, stands near a ghat at dawn; he steadies himself, takes up study and service, and resumes purposeful walking toward a shrine, symbolizing regained śrī and vidyā through effort.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Do not fall into self-contempt in adversity; steady effort is itself dharma and attracts knowledge and prosperity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The instruction is delivered within Kāśī-khaṇḍa, shaping the ethical life expected in sacred Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is specified; it prescribes continual right effort (udyama) as a dharmic discipline.