Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 32

Devanagari script

तस्मादेषोऽपि पापात्मा भविष्यति स कोपभाक् । तप्तं तप्तं तपो येन संप्रयास्यति संक्षयम्

Transliteration

tasmādeṣo'pi pāpātmā bhaviṣyati sa kopabhāk | taptaṃ taptaṃ tapo yena saṃprayāsyati saṃkṣayam

Translation

Therefore, this sinful man too will become an heir to wrath; and the austerities (tapas) he has practiced again and again will, in the end, come to ruin.

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: therefore, from that
• तस्मात्: Hetu/Apādāna (Cause/Source/हेतु/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम-शब्द

• एषः: this (man)
• एषः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम-शब्द

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha/Discourse particle (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle)

• पापात्मा: sinful-souled person
• पापात्मा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप + आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (पापः आत्मा यस्य)

• भविष्यति: will become
• भविष्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

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

• कोपभाक्: partaker of anger, wrathful
• कोपभाक्: Karta-viśeṣaṇa (Subject qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कोप + भाज् (धातु; क्विप्/क्विन्-प्रत्ययान्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक (भाक् = ‘partaker’); तत्पुरुषः (कोपं भजते/कोपस्य भागी)

• तप्तम्: performed (as austerity)
• तप्तम्: Karma-viśeṣaṇa (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तप् (धातु; क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; ‘heated/performed (austerity)’

• तप्तम्: performed, performed
• तप्तम्: Karma-viśeṣaṇa (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तप् (धातु; क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; पुनरुक्ति (repetition for emphasis)

• तपः: austerity, penance
• तपः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• येन: by which, through which
• येन: Karaṇa/Hetu (Instrument/Cause/करण/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध-सर्वनाम

• संप्रयास्यति: will go/come to, will reach
• संप्रयास्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + प्र + या (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• संक्षयम्: destruction, ruin
• संक्षयम्: Gati-karma (Goal/गति-कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सम् + क्षय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

Speaker

Brāhmaṇas (Dvijas)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The ascetic’s accumulated tapas is shown as a fading inner fire; wrath rises like smoke; brāhmaṇas’ pronouncement seals the karmic outcome; the unfinished temple looms as a symbol of wasted effort.

Characters & Entities

• Pāpātmā (sinful person)
• Kopa (wrath)
• Tapas (austerity)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tapas is not self-validating; when joined to sin and hostility, its accumulated power is said to perish.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is mentioned in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it speaks of the fate of austerities (tapas) rather than prescribing a rite.