Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 91

Devanagari script

न रात्रौ विंदते निद्रा कामाग्निपरिखेदितः । दिवापि हि कुतः सौख्यमर्थोपार्जनचिंतया

Transliteration

na rātrau viṃdate nidrā kāmāgniparikheditaḥ | divāpi hi kutaḥ saukhyamarthopārjanaciṃtayā

Translation

காமத் தீயால் எரிந்தவன் இரவில் நித்திரை பெறான். பகலிலும் பொருள் ஈட்டும் கவலையால் கலங்கும் மனத்திற்கு இன்பம் எங்கே?

Word by Word

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

• rātrau: at night
• rātrau: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rātri (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन — Locative singular

• viṃdate: finds/obtains
• viṃdate: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vid (विद्)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन — Parasmaipada

• nidrā: sleep
• nidrā: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nidrā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन — Nominative singular

• kāmāgni-parikheditaḥ: tormented by the fire of desire
• kāmāgni-parikheditaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kāma (प्रातिपदिक) + agni (प्रातिपदिक) + parikhedita (परिखेदित, कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — Past passive participle (क्त), ‘परिखेदित’ = ‘परिखेद’ धात्वर्थ-जन्य; समासः: कामाग्नि (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष/निर्देश) + परिखेदित (तृतीया-तत्पुरुषभाव: ‘कामाग्निना परिखेदितः’)

• divā: by day
• divā: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: divā (अव्यय/कालवाचक)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• api: also/even
• api: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपि-कारक-अव्यय (particle: also/even)

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

• kutaḥ: how/whence
• kutaḥ: Sambandha (Interrogative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kutaḥ (अव्यय/प्रश्नार्थ)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थ-अव्यय (interrogative: whence/how)

• saukhyam: happiness/comfort
• saukhyam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saukhya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन — Nominative/Accusative singular (context: ‘where is comfort?’)

• artha-upārjana-ciṃtayā: by/through worry about earning wealth
• artha-upārjana-ciṃtayā: Karana (Instrument/Cause/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: artha (प्रातिपदिक) + upārjana (प्रातिपदिक) + ciṃtā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन — Instrumental singular; समासः: अर्थोपार्जन (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘अर्थस्य उपार्जनम्’) + चिन्ता (तत्पुरुष: ‘अर्थोपार्जनस्य चिन्ता’)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narrative convention)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A householder lies awake at night, eyes open, surrounded by flickering flames symbolizing kāma; by day he sits amid ledgers and coins, brow furrowed with artha-cintā, while a serene ascetic silhouette in the background suggests the alternative of śama.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Desire burns away rest at night and wealth-anxiety steals peace by day; lasting happiness comes from dharma-guided restraint and inner contentment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse contrasts worldly agitation with the need for spiritual orientation.