Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 168

Devanagari script

न मे प्रियं कृतं शिष्य त्वयैतत्कर्म कुर्वता । शपता ब्राह्मणं दीनंनैष धर्मस्तपस्विनाम्

Transliteration

na me priyaṃ kṛtaṃ śiṣya tvayaitatkarma kurvatā | śapatā brāhmaṇaṃ dīnaṃnaiṣa dharmastapasvinām

Translation

„Schüler, mit dieser Tat hast du nicht getan, was mir lieb ist: Du hast einen hilflosen Brahmanen verflucht. Das ist nicht das Dharma der Asketen.“

Word by Word

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation)

• मे: my
• मे: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (Genitive) एकवचन; ‘मम’ का रूप

• प्रियम्: pleasing (thing)
• प्रियम्: Karma (Predicate complement/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया; एकवचन; विधेय (predicate)

• कृतम्: done
• कृतम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रियाविशेष)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया; एकवचन; ‘कृतम्’ = done

• शिष्य: O disciple
• शिष्य: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिष्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन (Vocative/सम्बोधन); एकवचन

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: Kartr (Agent in passive sense/कर्तृ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: मध्यमपुरुष-सर्वनाम; तृतीया (Instrumental); एकवचन

• एतत्कर्म: this act
• एतत्कर्म: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतत् (सर्वनाम) + कर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया; एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (एतत् कर्म = this act)

• कुर्वता: while doing / by doing
• कुर्वता: Kartr (Agent qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकृदन्त (present active participle); पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया; एकवचन; ‘कुर्वता’ = by (one) doing

• शपता: by cursing
• शपता: Kartr (Agent qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: शप् (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया; एकवचन; ‘शपता’ = by cursing

• ब्राह्मणम्: a brāhmaṇa
• ब्राह्मणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचन

• दीनम्: wretched/poor
• दीनम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दीन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचन; विशेषण

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध

• एषः: this
• एषः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन

• धर्मः: dharma/righteous conduct
• धर्मः: Karta (Subject complement/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन

• तपस्विनाम्: of ascetics
• तपस्विनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस्विन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी (Genitive); बहुवचन

Speaker

Guru (addressing the disciple)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A guru admonishes his disciple: ‘This deed is not pleasing—cursing a helpless brāhmaṇa is not the dharma of ascetics.’

Characters & Entities

• Guru
• Śiṣya
• Brāhmaṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ascetic dharma requires restraint and compassion; spiritual authority should not be used to harm the vulnerable.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is named in this verse; it serves the moral teaching within the chapter’s tīrtha-mahātmya narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a direct ethical injunction against cursing and cruelty.