Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 62

Devanagari script

एकजन्मसुखस्यार्थे सहस्राणि विलापयेत् । प्राज्ञो जन्मसहस्रेषु संचिनोत्येकजन्मनि

Transliteration

ekajanmasukhasyārthe sahasrāṇi vilāpayet | prājño janmasahasreṣu saṃcinotyekajanmani

Translation

ഒരു ജന്മസുഖത്തിനായി മനുഷ്യൻ ആയിരങ്ങൾ (ജന്മങ്ങളുടെ) സമ്പാദ്യം പാഴാക്കുന്നു. എന്നാൽ ജ്ഞാനി ഒരേ ജന്മത്തിൽ ആയിരം ജന്മങ്ങളെ താങ്ങുന്ന പുണ്യം സമ്പാദിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• ekajanmasukhasya: of the happiness of one life
• ekajanmasukhasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: eka (प्रातिपदिक) + janma (प्रातिपदिक) + sukha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (सुख), षष्ठी, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (एकस्य जन्मनः सुखम्)

• arthe: for the sake (of)
• arthe: Adhikarana (Purpose-locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: artha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; प्रयोजनार्थे (for the sake of)

• sahasrāṇi: thousands (of things/efforts)
• sahasrāṇi: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sahasra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• vilāpayet: would waste away, would squander
• vilāpayet: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: lā (धातु) उपसर्गः vi-; vilāpayet (तिङन्त)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; causative sense (to waste/melt away)

• prājñaḥ: a wise person
• prājñaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prājña (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• janmasahasreṣu: in thousands of births
• janmasahasreṣu: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: janma (प्रातिपदिक) + sahasra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (जन्मानां सहस्रेषु)

• saṃcinoti: accumulates, gathers
• saṃcinoti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ci (धातु) उपसर्गः sam-; saṃcinoti (तिङन्त)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• ekajanmani: in one birth
• ekajanmani: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: eka (प्रातिपदिक) + janman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (एकस्मिन् जन्मनि)

Speaker

Sārasvata (contextual continuation)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sage points to a balance scale: on one side fleeting pleasures (garlands, coins, wine-cup), on the other side enduring puṇya (tīrtha-water pot, lamp, scripture, offerings). Behind, a faint wheel of births illustrates thousands of lives.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Short-term pleasure can destroy long-term welfare; wise practice (notably dāna and dharma) builds merit that benefits many future births.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No holy site is specified; the teaching is about karma, rebirth, and the economy of puṇya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual; it advocates dharmic accumulation of merit—commonly achieved through dāna, vrata, and devotion.