Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

अर्थार्थी जीव लोकोऽयं स्मशानमपि सेवते । जनितारमपि त्यक्त्वा निःस्वं यांति सुता अपि

Transliteration

arthārthī jīva loko'yaṃ smaśānamapi sevate | janitāramapi tyaktvā niḥsvaṃ yāṃti sutā api

Translation

செல்வ ஆசையால் இந்த உயிருலகம் சுடுகாட்டையும் நாடுகிறது; தந்தையையே விட்டுவிட்டு, அவர் வறியவரானால் மகன்களும் விலகிச் செல்கிறார்கள்.

Word by Word

• artha-arthī: seeking wealth
• artha-arthī: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: artha + arthin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (उपपद-तत्पुरुष): ‘artham arthī’ = desirous of wealth; पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• jīva: living
• jīva: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: jīva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण—‘living’ (qualifying lokaḥ)

• lokaḥ: the world/people
• lokaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: loka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• ayam: this
• ayam: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• smaśānam: cremation-ground
• smaśānam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: smaśāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

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

• sevate: serves/visits
• sevate: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sev (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• janitāram: the father/begetter
• janitāram: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: janitṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; ‘begetter/father’

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

• tyaktvā: having abandoned
• tyaktvā: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: tyaj (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund) ‘having abandoned’

• niḥsvam: destitute (one)
• niḥsvam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: niḥsva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण—‘destitute’ (object of yānti: ‘go to/leave as destitute’)

• yānti: go/leave
• yānti: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: yā (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• sutāḥ: sons/children
• sutāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: suta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

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

Speaker

An unnamed renunciate/narrator within the Tīrthamāhātmya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A crowd searching for wealth in a cremation ground—scavenging, bargaining—while a penniless old father sits abandoned; sons walk away; in the distance a pilgrim lights a lamp and prays, symbolizing dharma as refuge.

Characters & Entities

• smaśāna

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When relationships depend on money, they collapse with poverty; therefore one should seek refuge in dharma, not in artha.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No named tirtha appears in this verse; the cremation ground is used as an image of how far greed can drive people.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a social-spiritual admonition about greed and the unreliability of wealth-based bonds.