Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 30

Devanagari script

ब्राह्मण उवाच । किमादर्शेन चांधस्य किं गृहैर्भैक्ष्यजीविनः । किं पुस्तकेन मूर्खस्य ह्यस्त्रीकस्य धनेन किम्

Transliteration

brāhmaṇa uvāca | kimādarśena cāṃdhasya kiṃ gṛhairbhaikṣyajīvinaḥ | kiṃ pustakena mūrkhasya hyastrīkasya dhanena kim

Translation

ବ୍ରାହ୍ମଣ କହିଲେ—ଅନ୍ଧକୁ ଦର୍ପଣରେ କ’ଣ କାମ? ଭିକ୍ଷାଜୀବୀକୁ ଘରରେ କ’ଣ ଲାଭ? ମୂର୍ଖକୁ ପୁସ୍ତକରେ କ’ଣ ଉପକାର? ଏବଂ ସ୍ତ୍ରୀହୀନକୁ ଧନରେ କ’ଣ ଅର୍ଥ?

Word by Word

• brāhmaṇaḥ: the Brahmin
• brāhmaṇaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brāhmaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• kim: what use?
• kim: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (interrogative), एकवचन

• ādarśena: with a mirror
• ādarśena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ādarśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• andhasya: of a blind man
• andhasya: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: andha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• kim: what use?
• kim: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (interrogative), एकवचन

• gṛhaiḥ: with houses
• gṛhaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gṛha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• bhaikṣya-jīvinaḥ: of one who lives by alms
• bhaikṣya-jīvinaḥ: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhaikṣya (प्रातिपदिक) + jīvin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (उपपद/षष्ठी-भाव: 'living by alms'); पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• kim: what use?
• kim: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (interrogative), एकवचन

• pustakena: with a book
• pustakena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pustaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• mūrkhasya: of a fool
• mūrkhasya: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mūrkha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• hi: indeed
• hi: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• astrīkasya: of one without a wife
• astrīkasya: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: a- (नञ्) + strīka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; नञ्-समासार्थ (negated: 'without wife')

• dhanena: with wealth
• dhanena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dhana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• kim: what use?
• kim: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (interrogative), एकवचन

Speaker

Brāhmaṇa

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The brāhmaṇa speaks in pointed analogies; visual vignettes can appear as small panels: a blind man before a mirror, an almsman before a grand house, a fool holding a book upside down, a lonely rich man without spouse.

Characters & Entities

• brāhmaṇa
• Bhadrāyu (implied listener)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Objects gain meaning only when aligned with right purpose; without fitness (yogyatā), possessions become empty.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned here.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is rhetorical instruction through analogies.