Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 100

Devanagari script

अनृतेन क्षरेद्यज्ञस्तपो विस्मयतः क्षरेत् । क्षरेत्कीर्तिर्विनादानमायुर्विप्रापमानतः

Transliteration

anṛtena kṣaredyajñastapo vismayataḥ kṣaret | kṣaretkīrtirvinādānamāyurviprāpamānataḥ

Translation

Durch Unwahrheit versiegt das yajña (Opfer); durch Eitelkeit versiegt das tapas (Askese). Ohne dāna (Gabe) versiegt der Ruhm; und durch die Missachtung der Brāhmaṇas versiegt die Lebensspanne.

Word by Word

• अनृतेन: by falsehood
• अनृतेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; करण/हेतु-अर्थे (by/through falsehood)

• क्षरेत्: would perish/decay
• क्षरेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: क्षर् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• यज्ञः: sacrifice
• यज्ञः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• तपः: austerity
• तपः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• विस्मयतः: from astonishment/distraction
• विस्मयतः: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विस्मय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th), एकवचन; हेत्वर्थे (from/through astonishment, i.e., due to distraction)

• क्षरेत्: would perish/decay
• क्षरेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: क्षर् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• क्षरेत्: would perish/decay
• क्षरेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: क्षर् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• कीर्तिः: fame
• कीर्तिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कीर्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• विना: without
• विना: Sambandha (Preposition-like/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विना (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपपद (without) — सामान्यतः तृतीया/द्वितीया-सम्बन्धः

• दानम्: giving; charity
• दानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; ‘विना’ उपपद-योगे

• आयुः: lifespan
• आयुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आयुस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• विप्रापमानतः: from insulting a Brahmin
• विप्रापमानतः: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक) + अपमान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (विप्रस्य अपमानः) + तः (ablative ending)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Four symbolic ‘vessels’ labeled yajña, tapas, kīrti, āyus appear as pots leaking due to four causes: a serpent of falsehood, a peacock of vanity, an empty hand of non-charity, and a figure insulting a brāhmaṇa; a sage points instructively.

Characters & Entities

• Yajña
• Tapaḥ
• Vipra (Brāhmaṇa)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual merit depends on character: truth, humility, generosity, and reverence for the wise preserve spiritual gains.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is specified; it teaches universal dharma that safeguards merit even at the holiest places.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Maintain truthfulness, avoid pride in tapas, practice dāna, and do not insult brāhmaṇas.