Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

सुवर्णमाषं गामेकां भूमेरप्यर्धमंगुलम् । हरन्नरकमाप्नोति यावदाभूतसंप्लवम्

Transliteration

suvarṇamāṣaṃ gāmekāṃ bhūmerapyardhamaṃgulam | harannarakamāpnoti yāvadābhūtasaṃplavam

Translation

Wer auch nur ein māṣa Gold, eine einzige Kuh oder auch nur eine halbe Fingerbreite Land stiehlt, gelangt in die Hölle—bis zur Auflösung der Wesen.

Word by Word

• सुवर्णमाषम्: a māṣa (measure) of gold
• सुवर्णमाषम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: suvarṇa-māṣa (प्रातिपदिक; सुवर्ण + माष)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; कर्म (object)

• गाम्: a cow
• गाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: go (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; कर्म

• एकाम्: one
• एकाम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: eka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifies गाम्)

• भूमेः: of land
• भूमेः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhūmi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी विभक्ति (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात/particle; even)

• अर्धम्: half
• अर्धम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ardha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; कर्म (measure-object)

• अंगुलम्: a finger-breadth
• अंगुलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aṅgula (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; कर्म (measure)

• हरन्: stealing; taking away
• हरन्: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: hṛ (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (शतृ-प्रत्यय, वर्तमानकाले), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन; कर्तरि (while stealing)

• नरकम्: hell
• नरकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: naraka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; कर्म

• आप्नोति: attains; reaches
• आप्नोति: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: āp (धातु)
• Form: लट् लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद; सकर्मक

• यावत्: until
• यावत्: Sambandha (Temporal limit/अवधि)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yāvat (अव्यय/सम्बन्ध-शब्द)
• Form: अव्यय (अवधि-निर्देशक/limit marker: 'until')

• आ: up to
• आ: Sambandha (Limit/अवधि)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (उपसर्गसदृश/particle; with yāvat = 'up to')

• भूतसंप्लवम्: the cosmic dissolution (deluge) of beings
• भूतसंप्लवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhūta-saṃplava (प्रातिपदिक; भूत + संप्लव)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; कर्म/अवधि (object of 'until')

Speaker

Sūta (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim at Prabhāsa is shown being warned by sages: even a tiny lump of gold, a cow, and a sliver of land are depicted as sacred trusts; in the background, a dark naraka realm symbolizes the long consequence of theft.

Characters & Entities

• Suvarṇa (gold)
• Gau (cow)
• Bhūmi (land)
• Naraka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even ‘small’ theft is spiritually weighty; dharma measures sin by principle, not by quantity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The admonition is delivered within the Prabhāsa-kṣetra Māhātmya, shaping ethical conduct for those near the sacred field.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A moral prohibition against theft, reinforced by eschatological consequence (naraka) rather than a specific rite.