Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

संपूजयसि चौर्येण तेन प्राणान्हराम्यहम् । एवमुक्त्वाथ खड्गेन तं जघान स दैत्यपः

Transliteration

saṃpūjayasi cauryeṇa tena prāṇānharāmyaham | evamuktvātha khaḍgena taṃ jaghāna sa daityapaḥ

Translation

“You worship through theft; therefore I shall take your life.” Saying this, that sinful one struck him with a sword.

Word by Word

• संपूजयसि: you worship
• संपूजयसि: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्+पूज् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद (Parasmaipada)

• चौर्येण: by theft; through stealing
• चौर्येण: Karana (Instrument/Means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चौर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• तेन: by that; therefore
• तेन: Karana/Hetu (Means/Cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (Pronoun), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• प्राणान्: life-breaths; lives
• प्राणान्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन (Plural)

• हरामि: I take away
• हरामि: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद (Parasmaipada)

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (Pronoun), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (Indeclinable), प्रकारवाचक (adverb: thus)

• उक्त्वा: having said
• उक्त्वा: Kriya (Non-finite verbal adjunct)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (Absolutive/Gerund), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (prior action)

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (Indeclinable), अनुक्रम/सम्बन्धसूचक (particle: then/now)

• खड्गेन: with a sword
• खड्गेन: Karana (Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: खड्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (Pronoun), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• जघान: struck; smote
• जघान: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद (Parasmaipada)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (Pronoun), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• दैत्यपः: the demon (Daityapa)
• दैत्यपः: Karta (Apposition to saḥ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दैत्यप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Vṛka (contextual, addressing Sāṃkṛti)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dvijasattamāḥ

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The attacker, calling the worship ‘theft’, raises a sword to kill; the devotee remains steady, suggesting imminent miracle.

Characters & Entities

• Vṛka
• Sāṃkṛti

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Adharma multiplies: theft and violent intent together deepen bondage; attacking the righteous rebounds upon the aggressor.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The episode belongs to a tīrtha-māhātmya chapter, but the site name is not contained in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is narrative description of wrongdoing.