Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 73

Devanagari script

महापातकसंघातमधिकं चोपपातकम् । शिवद्रव्यापहरणादन्यत्सर्वं निवारयेत्

Transliteration

mahāpātakasaṃghātamadhikaṃ copapātakam | śivadravyāpaharaṇādanyatsarvaṃ nivārayet

Translation

Selbst ein Haufen großer Sünden und auch weitere Nebensünden können abgewehrt werden—alles, außer dem Diebstahl von Śivas Eigentum.

Word by Word

• महापातकसंघातम्: a mass/collection of great sins
• महापातकसंघातम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महापातक (प्रातिपदिक) + संघात (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (महापातकानां संघातः)

• अधिकम्: greater/excessive
• अधिकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अधिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (महापातकसंघातम् इति)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• उपपातकम्: a minor sin
• उपपातकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपपातक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• शिवद्रव्यापहरणात्: from the stealing of Śiva’s property
• शिवद्रव्यापहरणात्: Apadana (Ablative/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक) + द्रव्य (प्रातिपदिक) + अपहरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (अपादान), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (शिवस्य द्रव्यस्य अपहरणम्)

• अन्यत्: other
• अन्यत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (सर्वम् इति)

• सर्वम्: everything
• सर्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्व-शब्दः (collective)

• निवारयेत्: should ward off/remove
• निवारयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-√वृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

Speaker

Narratorial voice within Brahmottarakhaṇḍa (speaker not explicit in the snippet)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A didactic scene: a teacher-sage instructs a listener near a Śiva shrine; in the background, temple vessels and offerings are shown as sacred, with a warning gesture against taking them.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Śiva-dravya (temple/sacred property)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion purifies, but dharma also demands strict integrity—misappropriating sacred property is treated as uniquely destructive.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is mentioned; the verse concerns the sanctity of Śiva’s offerings and temple resources.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

An ethical injunction: avoid śiva-dravya-apaharaṇa (theft of Śiva’s property), presented as an exception to general expiation.