Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 135

Devanagari script

यथा दरिद्रः कृपणो निधिकुम्भमवाप्य च । सफलं जीवितं मेने महाकालं निरीक्ष्य सः

Transliteration

yathā daridraḥ kṛpaṇo nidhikumbhamavāpya ca | saphalaṃ jīvitaṃ mene mahākālaṃ nirīkṣya saḥ

Translation

正如贫穷而吝啬之人，一旦得获宝藏之罐，便以为此生已然有成；同样地，他瞻见摩诃迦罗，便认为自己生命已得圆满。

Word by Word

• yathā: just as
• yathā: Sambandha (Simile marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमानवाचक (as/just as)

• daridraḥ: a poor man
• daridraḥ: Karta (Subject of simile/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: daridra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन

• kṛpaṇaḥ: miserly/wretched
• kṛpaṇaḥ: Karta (Qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kṛpaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन; विशेषण (of daridraḥ)

• nidhi-kumbham: a pot of treasure
• nidhi-kumbham: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nidhi (प्रातिपदिक) + kumbha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (nidheḥ kumbhaḥ)

• avāpya: having obtained
• avāpya: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ava + āp (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Gerund/Absolutive); अव्ययभाव; उपसर्ग: अव

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

• saphalam: fruitful
• saphalam: Karma (Predicate complement/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sa-phala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (phala-yuktam)

• jīvitam: life
• jīvitam: Karma (Object of mene/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jīvita (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचन

• mene: considered/thought
• mene: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: man (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect); आत्मनेपद; प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन

• mahākālam: Mahākāla
• mahākālam: Karma (Object of nirīkṣya/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahākāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचन

• nirīkṣya: having beheld
• nirīkṣya: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: nir + īkṣ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Gerund/Absolutive); अव्ययभाव; उपसर्ग: निर्

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन; सर्वनाम

Speaker

Nārada (continuing narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mahākāla (Mahākāleśvara)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A split-imagery simile: on one side a poor man finds a treasure pot; on the other the king beholds Mahākāla, realizing life’s fruitfulness.

Characters & Entities

• Mahākāla
• Darśana
• Nidhi-kumbha (treasure pot)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva-darśana is portrayed as the highest gain—surpassing worldly wealth and making life truly meaningful.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Mahākāla sacred presence (Mahākāla Liṅga/shrine) where darśana is equated with supreme attainment.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is prescribed; the verse extols the fruit of darśana itself.