Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 57

Devanagari script

अत्र यांति नरा विप्र पररंध्रनिरीक्षकाः । कूटकर्मरता ये च शास्त्रविक्रयकारकाः

Transliteration

atra yāṃti narā vipra pararaṃdhranirīkṣakāḥ | kūṭakarmaratā ye ca śāstravikrayakārakāḥ

Translation

O Brāhmaṇa, hierher gelangen jene, die nach den Fehlern anderer spähen, die an trügerischen Taten Gefallen finden, und die, welche die heiligen Schriften zum Handel machen.

Word by Word

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (here)

• यान्ति: go
• यान्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन

• नराः: men
• नराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• विप्र: O brahmin
• विप्र: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• पर-रन्ध्र-निरीक्षकाः: watchers of others' faults
• पर-रन्ध्र-निरीक्षकाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक) + रन्ध्र (प्रातिपदिक) + निरीक्षक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; षष्ठी/कर्म-तत्पुरुष (परस्य रन्ध्रं निरीक्षन्ति = those who look for others' faults)

• कूटकर्मरताः: engaged in fraudulent deeds
• कूटकर्मरताः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कूट (प्रातिपदिक) + कर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + रत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सप्तमी/षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषार्थ (कूटकर्मणि रताः = devoted to deceitful acts)

• ये: who
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सम्बन्धक-सर्वनाम

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

• शास्त्र-विक्रय-कारकाः: those who sell scriptures
• शास्त्र-विक्रय-कारकाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शास्त्र (प्रातिपदिक) + विक्रय (प्रातिपदिक) + कारक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (शास्त्रस्य विक्रयस्य कारकाः = sellers of scriptures)

Speaker

Yama

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Asipatravana (implied destination)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: vipra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Three groups of sinners: one peering through cracks in walls (spies), one forging documents/weights (fraudsters), one hawking palm-leaf scriptures in a marketplace; all are driven toward the blade-forest by Yama’s attendants.

Characters & Entities

• Yama

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It condemns fault-finding, fraud, and commodifying sacred knowledge, emphasizing purity of speech, honesty, and reverence for śāstra.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named; the focus is on ethical transgressions and their karmic result.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual is prescribed; it identifies behaviors to avoid as adharma.