Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

नक्षत्ररंगजीवी च याति वैतरणीं नरः । धनयौवनमत्तो यो धनहा कृष्णमेति सः

Transliteration

nakṣatraraṃgajīvī ca yāti vaitaraṇīṃ naraḥ | dhanayauvanamatto yo dhanahā kṛṣṇameti saḥ

Translation

الرجل الذي يعتاش من عروض التنجيم ومشاهد النجوم يمضي إلى فايتَرَني (Vaitaraṇī). ومن سكر بالمال والشباب فأهلك الثروة يذهب إلى «كريشنا» (Kṛṣṇa)، أي الحالة الجحيمية المظلمة.

Word by Word

• नक्षत्ररङ्गजीवी: one who lives by star-shows/astrology-entertainment
• नक्षत्ररङ्गजीवी: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नक्षत्र + रङ्ग + जीविन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (नक्षत्राणां रङ्गः तेन जीवति)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction)

• याति: goes
• याति: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• वैतरणीम्: the Vaitaraṇī (river of hell)
• वैतरणीम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैतरणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• धनयौवनमत्तः: intoxicated with wealth and youth
• धनयौवनमत्तः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धन + यौवन + मत्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; समासः—द्वन्द्वपूर्वक-तत्पुरुषः (धनेन यौवनेन च मत्तः)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक-यः (relative pronoun)

• धनहा: a destroyer/robber of wealth
• धनहा: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धन + हन् (धातु) → धनहन्/धनहा (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कृदन्तः—हन् धातोः क्विप्/अण्-प्रायः (agent noun), समासः—उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (धनं हन्ति)

• कृष्णम्: Kṛṣṇa / the dark (realm/person)
• कृष्णम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• एति: goes/attains
• एति: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: इ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; निर्देशार्थक (demonstrative pronoun)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) (deduced from Māheśvara-khaṇḍa narrative convention)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vaitaraṇī (naraka-river) / Kṛṣṇa (dark naraka-state)

Type: river

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis/Devotees (contextual audience of the khanda)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A moral tableau: a charlatan astrologer performing a gaudy spectacle before a crowd; beside him a youth drunk on wealth squanders riches; in the background the dread river Vaitaraṇī and a dark ‘Kṛṣṇa’ hell-state loom as karmic shadows.

Characters & Entities

• Vaitaraṇī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Right livelihood and humility are dharmic; prideful misuse of wealth and deceptive living lead to suffering.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No terrestrial tīrtha is praised; Vaitaraṇī is referenced as a feared infernal river/threshold.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the implied guidance is ethical conduct and restraint from dhana-mada.