Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 74

Devanagari script

अहो कुबुद्धिना नैव लब्धं संसारजं फलम् । न कदाचिन्मया दत्तं तृष्णाव्याकुलचेतसा

Transliteration

aho kubuddhinā naiva labdhaṃ saṃsārajaṃ phalam | na kadācinmayā dattaṃ tṛṣṇāvyākulacetasā

Translation

अहो मम कुबुद्ध्या संसारजं फलमपि न लब्धम्; तृष्णाव्याकुलचेतसा मया कदाचिदपि दानं न दत्तम्।

Word by Word

• अहो: alas!/oh!
• अहो: Sambandha (Exclamatory/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अहो (अव्यय)
• Form: विस्मयादिबोधक निपात (exclamation)

• कुबुद्धिना: by bad understanding
• कुबुद्धिना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कु- (उपसर्ग) + बुद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

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

• एव: indeed/at all
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण (emphatic particle)

• लब्धम्: obtained
• लब्धम्: Kriya (Predicate participle/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग (obtained)

• संसारजम्: born of worldly life
• संसारजम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: संसार (प्रातिपदिक) + ज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; पञ्चमी/षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (संसारात्/संसारस्य जातम्)

• फलम्: fruit/result
• फलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

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

• कदाचित्: ever/at any time
• कदाचित्: Kala-adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कदाचित् (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (adverb of time)

• मया: by me
• मया: Kartr (Agent in passive/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• दत्तम्: given
• दत्तम्: Kriya (Predicate participle/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मणि (given)

• तृष्णाव्याकुलचेतसा: with a mind agitated by craving
• तृष्णाव्याकुलचेतसा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तृष्णा (प्रातिपदिक) + व्याकुल (प्रातिपदिक) + चेतस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (चेतस्), तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुष (तृष्णया व्याकुलं चेतः यस्य/येन)

Speaker

Narrative voice within Tīrthamāhātmya (contextual speaker not explicit in the excerpt)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A wealthy man visualized with ornaments and storehouses behind him, yet his face shows emptiness; he gestures in regret, seeing beggars/guests he once ignored; craving is symbolized as a dark serpent or smoke around the heart.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A life driven by craving yields no lasting spiritual fruit; dāna (charity) purifies and gives meaning to worldly prosperity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse occurs within a Tīrthamāhātmya setting, emphasizing dharma around pilgrimage culture, but no single tīrtha-name appears in this line.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Dāna is implied as a neglected duty—giving to worthy recipients as part of dharma associated with tīrtha-visitation.