Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 38

Devanagari script

पृच्छामि पोष्यवर्गं च युष्मद्वाक्यं विशेषतः । यदि तत्पातकांशं मे ग्रहीष्यति कुटुम्बकम् । तद्युष्माकं ग्रहीष्यामि यत्किंचित्पार्श्वसंस्थितम्

Transliteration

pṛcchāmi poṣyavargaṃ ca yuṣmadvākyaṃ viśeṣataḥ | yadi tatpātakāṃśaṃ me grahīṣyati kuṭumbakam | tadyuṣmākaṃ grahīṣyāmi yatkiṃcitpārśvasaṃsthitam

Translation

Ich werde meine Angehörigen und Abhängigen befragen und eure Worte besonders prüfen. Wenn mein Hausstand einen Anteil an meiner Sünde auf sich nimmt, dann werde ich nehmen, was immer von euch hier in der Nähe liegt.

Word by Word

• pṛcchāmi: I ask
• pṛcchāmi: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: prach (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन (Singular)

• poṣya: dependents to be maintained
• poṣya: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: poṣya (प्रातिपदिक; यत्/ण्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त from √puṣ ‘to nourish’)
• Form: समासपूर्वपद; अर्थः ‘पोषणीय’ (to be maintained)

• vargam: group
• vargam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: varga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक अव्यय (conjunction ‘and’)

• yuṣmat: your
• yuṣmat: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: yuṣmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासपूर्वपद; षष्ठी-सम्बन्धार्थ (your)

• vākyam: statement/word
• vākyam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vākya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• viśeṣataḥ: especially
• viśeṣataḥ: Prakāra (Manner adjunct/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: viśeṣatas (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक अव्यय (adverb ‘especially/in particular’)

• yadi: if
• yadi: Sambandha (Condition marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yadi (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्तार्थक अव्यय (conditional particle ‘if’)

• tat: that
• tat: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, (समासपूर्वपद as determiner), एकवचन (Singular)

• pātaka: sin
• pātaka: Sambandha (Compound member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pātaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, (समासपूर्वपद), एकवचन (Singular)

• aṃśam: portion/share
• aṃśam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aṃśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• me: my / to me
• me: Sambandha (Genitive/Dative relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, षष्ठी/चतुर्थी (Genitive/Dative), एकवचन (Singular)

• grahīṣyati: will take/accept
• grahīṣyati: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: grah (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• kuṭumbakam: family/household
• kuṭumbakam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kuṭumbaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• tat: then/therefore
• tat: Sambandha (Correlative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् (correlative ‘then/therefore’)

• yuṣmākam: of you (all)
• yuṣmākam: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yuṣmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: मध्यमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन (Plural)

• grahīṣyāmi: I will take/accept
• grahīṣyāmi: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: grah (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), परस्मैपद, उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन (Singular)

• yat: whatever
• yat: Sambandha (Clause linker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सम्बन्धबोधक अव्यय (relative particle ‘whatever/that which’)

• kiṃcit: anything/something
• kiṃcit: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kiṃcit (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक from kim)
• Form: अव्यय; अनिश्चितपरिमाणवाचक (indefinite/quantifier)

• pārśva: side/nearby
• pārśva: Sambandha (Compound member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pārśva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासपूर्वपद; अर्थः ‘पार्श्वे’ (at the side/nearby)

• saṃsthitam: placed/kept
• saṃsthitam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sam + sthā (धातु)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc), एकवचन (Singular); क्त (past passive participle)

Speaker

Caurā (the thief)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The thief points toward his household/servants, proposing a ‘test’; one hand reaches toward sages’ belongings nearby—showing lingering greed; sages remain vigilant and compassionate.

Characters & Entities

• Poṣyavarga (dependents)
• Kuṭumba (household)
• Munīśvaras (sages)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

One cannot justify adharma by claiming it is for family; true responsibility requires honest inquiry and willingness to renounce sin.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No named tīrtha appears in this verse; it is part of a tīrtha-māhātmya chapter’s moral narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it concerns ethical decision-making about theft and karmic sharing.