Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 31

Devanagari script

यः श्रुत्वा सर्व शास्त्राणि निष्क्रयं न प्रयच्छति । शास्त्रचौरः स विज्ञेयो न चैवाप्नोति तत्फलम्

Transliteration

yaḥ śrutvā sarva śāstrāṇi niṣkrayaṃ na prayacchati | śāstracauraḥ sa vijñeyo na caivāpnoti tatphalam

Translation

He who listens to all the scriptures yet offers no proper fee or recompense should be known as a thief of scripture; he does not attain the fruit of that learning.

Word by Word

• यः: who (he who)
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्ध-सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund)

• सर्व: all
• सर्व: Visheshana (Adjectival)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying 'शास्त्राणि')

• शास्त्राणि: scriptures
• शास्त्राणि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शास्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• निष्क्रयम्: fee / recompense
• निष्क्रयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निष्क्रय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation)

• प्रयच्छति: gives
• प्रयच्छति: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-यम्/यच्छ् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present); प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• शास्त्रचौरः: a thief of scripture
• शास्त्रचौरः: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Predicate noun)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शास्त्र (प्रातिपदिक) + चौर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (शास्त्रस्य चौरः)

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

• विज्ञेयः: should be known (as)
• विज्ञेयः: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: कर्मणि-भविष्यत्कृदन्त; तव्यत्/यत्-अर्थे क्तव्य/णीय (gerundive); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन; 'to be known'

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्यय (emphasis: 'indeed/just')

• आप्नोति: attains
• आप्नोति: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आप् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present); प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• तत्फलम्: that result
• तत्फलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष (तत् फलम् = that fruit/result)

Speaker

Unspecified (Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya didactic voice)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A discourse assembly: listeners seated; one person turns away clutching coins, while the teacher remains composed; a symbolic shadow of ‘theft’ contrasts with another devotee offering dakṣiṇā with humility.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Learning must be joined with gratitude and right conduct—supporting the teacher and tradition—otherwise knowledge becomes spiritually fruitless.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific site is named; the verse lays down general dharma relevant to tīrtha life and religious communities.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Offering niṣkraya/guru-dakṣiṇā (appropriate recompense) after receiving scriptural teaching.