Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 53
Devanagari script
चौर्यवृत्तिर्नैष्कृतिको वृषलीरतिलालसः । कदाचिज्जारतां प्राप्तः शूद्रेण निहतो निशि
Transliteration
cauryavṛttirnaiṣkṛtiko vṛṣalīratilālasaḥ | kadācijjāratāṃ prāptaḥ śūdreṇa nihato niśi
Translation
সে চৌর্যবৃত্তিতে জীবিকা করত, নৈষ্কৃতিকর্মে রত ছিল এবং এক নীচজাত নারীর সঙ্গলোভী ছিল। একবার জারত্বে পতিত হয়ে রাত্রিতে এক শূদ্রের হাতে নিহত হল।
Word by Word
चौर्यवृत्तिःone whose livelihood is theft; thief by profession
चौर्यवृत्तिः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootचौर्य (प्रातिपदिक) + वृत्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (चौर्यस्य वृत्तिः)
नैष्कृतिकःa wicked/evil-doer; criminal
नैष्कृतिकः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootनैष्कृतिक (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन
वृषलीरतिलालसःlustful for intercourse with a low-caste woman
वृषलीरतिलालसः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeAdjective
Rootवृषली (प्रातिपदिक) + रति (प्रातिपदिक) + लालस (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (वृषल्याः रतौ लालसः)
कदाचित्once; at some time
कदाचित्:
Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootकदाचित् (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (temporal adverb)
जारताम्adultery; the state of being a paramour
जारताम्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootजारता (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन
प्राप्तःhaving attained; having fallen into
प्राप्तः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeVerb
Rootप्र + आप् (धातु)
Formक्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन
शूद्रेणby a Śūdra
शूद्रेण:
Karana/Agent-Instrument (करण/कर्तृकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootशूद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन
निहतःkilled; slain
निहतः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeVerb
Rootनि + हन् (धातु)
Formक्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन
निशिat night
निशि:
Adhikarana (Location/Time/अधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootनिशा (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन
Speaker
Vāmadeva
Visual Art Cues
Scene: A nocturnal alley or village edge: a thief-adulterer caught in wrongdoing, struck down in the dark; the atmosphere is grim, moralizing, and cautionary.
Characters & Entities
Ś
ŚūdraFAQs
Persistent adharma—stealing, cruelty, and sexual misconduct—ripens into suffering and violent consequences.
No tīrtha is mentioned; the verse narrates moral decline to contrast with later redemption.
None; it is descriptive narrative emphasizing ethical causality (karma-phala).