Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

जाग्रतां तु मनुष्याणां चौराः कुर्वंति किं खलाः । भयभीतश्चालसश्च तथा चाशुचिरेव यः

Transliteration

jāgratāṃ tu manuṣyāṇāṃ caurāḥ kurvaṃti kiṃ khalāḥ | bhayabhītaścālasaśca tathā cāśucireva yaḥ

Translation

মানুহ জাগি থাকিলেও এই দুষ্ট চোৰে কি নকৰে? আৰু যি ভয়াতুৰ, অলস আৰু অশুচি—সেইজন এই পথত কেনেকৈ স্থিৰতা লাভ কৰিব?

Word by Word

• जाग्रताम्: of the awake (people)
• जाग्रताम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जाग्रत् (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ), षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन; ‘of those who are awake’

• तु: but, indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात) — विरोध/अन्वय

• मनुष्याणाम्: of humans
• मनुष्याणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनुष्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन

• चौराः: thieves
• चौराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चौर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• कुर्वन्ति: do, commit
• कुर्वन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपद

• किम्: what?
• किम्: Sambandha (Interrogative/प्रश्न)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय-प्रयोग (प्रश्नार्थक) — ‘what?’

• खलाः: wicked ones
• खलाः: Karta (Apposition/समनाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: खल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• भयभीतः: fearful
• भयभीतः: Karta (Predicate adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भय + भीत (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः — ‘भयेन भीतः’ (afraid due to fear)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय

• आलसः: lazy
• आलसः: Karta (Predicate adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आलस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Adverbial modifier/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय

• अशुचिः: impure
• अशुचिः: Karta (Predicate adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अशुचि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (अवधारण)

• यः: who (he who)
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सम्बन्धवाचक

Speaker

Narrative voice (Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa tradition within Māheśvarakhaṇḍa)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: brāhmaṇas / Arjuna

Visual Art Cues

Scene: An allegory of a traveler-sādhaka walking a narrow path at dawn; despite open eyes, shadowy thieves lurk. Three chains labeled fear, laziness, and impurity weigh him down; a lamp of discipline lifts the path into clarity.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Fear, laziness, and inner impurity weaken dharmic resolve; spiritual progress needs alertness and steadiness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The surrounding passage points toward Stambhatīrtha within the Kaumārikākhaṇḍa’s sacred-geography narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual is stated here; it underscores inner preparedness (purity and courage) for dharmic acts and pilgrimage.