Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 41

Devanagari script

यथायथा भवेल्लाभो वांचितस्य नृणामिह । हविषा कृष्णवर्त्मेव वृद्धिं याति तथातथा

Transliteration

yathāyathā bhavellābho vāṃcitasya nṛṇāmiha | haviṣā kṛṣṇavartmeva vṛddhiṃ yāti tathātathā

Translation

เมื่อมนุษย์ในโลกนี้ได้สิ่งที่ปรารถนามากขึ้นเพียงใด ความกระหายใคร่ก็ยิ่งเพิ่มขึ้นเพียงนั้น—ดุจไฟที่ลุกโชนเมื่อได้รับเครื่องบูชา (หวิษ)

Word by Word

• यथा: as
• यथा: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमान/प्रकारवाचक (indeclinable of manner: 'as')

• यथा: so/as
• यथा: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; पुनरुक्ति (reduplication for emphasis: 'as...so')

• भवेत्: may be/occurs
• भवेत्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• लाभः: gain
• लाभः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लाभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• वाञ्छितस्य: of the desired (object)
• वाञ्छितस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वाञ्छित (कृदन्त; वाञ्छ् धातु + क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; विशेषण (desired/of what is desired)

• नृणाम्: of men/people
• नृणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन

• इह: here (in this world)
• इह: Adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (adverb of place)

• हविषा: with oblation (ghee etc.)
• हविषा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हविस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन

• कृष्णवर्त्मा: the black path (fire/Agni as 'black-tracked')
• कृष्णवर्त्मा: Upamana (Standard of comparison/उपमान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्ण-वर्त्मन् (प्रातिपदिक; कृष्ण + वर्त्मन्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; समासः कर्मधारयः (कृष्णं वर्त्म यस्य/कृष्णं वर्त्म)

• इव: like
• इव: Sambandha (Comparative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमावाचक (particle of comparison)

• वृद्धिम्: increase
• वृद्धिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• याति: goes/attains
• याति: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• तथा: so
• तथा: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (so, in that manner)

• तथा: accordingly
• तथा: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; पुनरुक्ति (emphatic repetition)

Speaker

Atithi (inferred)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra (contextual frame)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A contemplative pilgrim watches a sacrificial fire flare up as clarified butter is poured; the flame becomes a metaphor for craving swelling with each ‘gain’.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Satisfying craving often amplifies it; restraint and discernment are needed for peace.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The discourse is situated in the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra-māhātmya portion of Nāgara-khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription; the verse uses yajña imagery (havis and fire) as a moral metaphor.