Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

यथामिषं जले मत्स्यैर्भक्ष्यते श्वापदैर्भुवि । आकाशे पक्षिभिश्चैव तथा सर्वत्र वित्तवान्

Transliteration

yathāmiṣaṃ jale matsyairbhakṣyate śvāpadairbhuvi | ākāśe pakṣibhiścaiva tathā sarvatra vittavān

Translation

Wie der Köder im Wasser von Fischen gefressen wird, auf der Erde von wilden Tieren und im Himmel von Vögeln, so wird überall der Reiche zur Beute.

Word by Word

• यथा: just as
• यथा: Upamāna-sūcaka (Comparative marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (उपमान/‘just as’)

• आमिषं: bait; flesh
• आमिषं: Karta (Subject in passive/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आमिष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (nominative singular)

• जले: in water
• जले: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (locative singular)

• मत्स्यैः: by fishes
• मत्स्यैः: Karaṇa (Agent in passive/कर्ता-कारक)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मत्स्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (instrumental plural)

• भक्ष्यते: is eaten
• भक्ष्यते: Kriyā (Passive predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद, कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive sense)

• श्वापदैः: by wild beasts
• श्वापदैः: Karaṇa (Agent in passive/कर्ता-कारक)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्वापद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (instrumental plural)

• भुवि: on earth
• भुवि: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भू (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (locative singular)

• आकाशे: in the sky
• आकाशे: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आकाश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (locative singular)

• पक्षिभिः: by birds
• पक्षिभिः: Karaṇa (Agent in passive/कर्ता-कारक)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पक्षिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (instrumental plural)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Avadhāraṇa (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (अवधारण/particle of emphasis)

• तथा: so; likewise
• तथा: Upamāna-sādharmya (Comparative adverb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (तुल्यतावाचक; ‘so/likewise’)

• सर्वत्र: everywhere
• सर्वत्र: Deśa (Locative adverb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्वत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (देशवाचक; ‘everywhere’)

• वित्तवान्: a wealthy man
• वित्तवान्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वित्त (प्रातिपदिक) + वत् (प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तद्धितान्त (वतुप्), ‘धनयुक्तः’

Speaker

An unnamed renunciate/narrator within the Tīrthamāhātmya (moral illustration)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Triptych-like allegory: fish snapping at bait in water; beasts seizing bait on land; birds diving for bait in sky; central overlay: a wealthy person surrounded by grasping hands/figures.

Characters & Entities

• matsya
• pakṣi
• śvāpada

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Wealth attracts exploitation and danger from every side; safety lies in non-attachment and discernment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse supports the chapter’s moral instruction within Tīrthamāhātmya; no specific tirtha is named here.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a warning through metaphor, encouraging vairāgya rather than a formal rite.