Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 76

Devanagari script

यद्वातद्वा परद्रव्यमपि सर्षपमात्रकम् । अपहृत्य नरः पापो नारकी नात्र संशयः

Transliteration

yadvātadvā paradravyamapi sarṣapamātrakam | apahṛtya naraḥ pāpo nārakī nātra saṃśayaḥ

Translation

مهما يكن—إن سرقَ الإنسانُ الآثمُ مالَ غيره، ولو بمقدار حبّة خردل، صار من أهل الجحيم؛ لا شكّ في ذلك.

Word by Word

• यद्वा: whether (if)
• यद्वा: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्पार्थक-निपात (alternative particle: “whether/if”)

• तद्वा: or (that way)
• तद्वा: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्पार्थक-निपात (alternative particle: “or”)

• परद्रव्यम्: another’s property
• परद्रव्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक) + द्रव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (“परस्य द्रव्यम्” = another’s property)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधान/समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (even/also)

• सर्षपमात्रकम्: only as much as a mustard seed
• सर्षपमात्रकम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्षप (प्रातिपदिक) + मात्रक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (“सर्षपस्य मात्रकं” = mustard-seed measure) विशेषणम् परद्रव्यम्-शब्दस्य

• अपहृत्य: having stolen
• अपहृत्य: Kriya (Non-finite verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अप-हृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund/absolutive); “having stolen/removed”

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• पापः: sinful
• पापः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् नरः-शब्दस्य

• नारकी: hell-bound
• नारकी: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नारकिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् नरः-शब्दस्य (one destined for hell)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध-निपात (negation)

• अत्र: here/in this matter
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb: here/in this matter)

• संशयः: doubt
• संशयः: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संशय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Mahākāla (contextual—Kaumārikākhaṇḍa dialogue; immediate speaker not marked in this verse)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A moral tableau: a man stealthily taking a tiny mustard seed from another’s store; behind him, Yama’s messengers (yamadūtas) loom, indicating inevitable karmic consequence.

Characters & Entities

• para-dravya (others' property)
• sarṣapa (mustard seed)
• naraka (hell)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even minor theft is spiritually corrosive; dharma demands strict respect for others’ property.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is named; the emphasis is on universal moral law (dharma) and its fruits.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a prohibition (niṣedha) against stealing.