Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

किमर्थं कुरुषे चौर्यं त्वं विप्रोऽसि सुनिर्घृणः । किं जितो व्यसनै रौद्रैः किं वा व्याधद्विजो भवान्

Transliteration

kimarthaṃ kuruṣe cauryaṃ tvaṃ vipro'si sunirghṛṇaḥ | kiṃ jito vyasanai raudraiḥ kiṃ vā vyādhadvijo bhavān

Translation

« Pourquoi commets-tu le vol ? Tu es un brāhmaṇa, et pourtant tu es totalement sans compassion. As-tu été vaincu par de farouches vices ? Ou bien es-tu devenu un “brāhmaṇa-chasseur”, un brāhmaṇa vivant de la cruauté du chasseur ? »

Word by Word

• kimartham: for what purpose? why?
• kimartham: Prashna (प्रश्न/अव्ययार्थ)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kim + artha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रश्नार्थक (interrogative adverb)

• kuruṣe: you do/commit
• kuruṣe: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद

• cauryam: theft
• cauryam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: caurya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• tvam: you
• tvam: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• vipraḥ: a Brahmin
• vipraḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vipra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• asi: are
• asi: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• sunirghṛṇaḥ: very merciless
• sunirghṛṇaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: su + nirghṛṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (intensified: 'very')

• kim: whether? what?
• kim: Prashna (प्रश्न/अव्ययार्थ)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kim (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रश्नार्थक (interrogative particle)

• jitaḥ: overcome
• jitaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ji (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; 'conquered/overcome'

• vyasanaiḥ: by calamities/vices
• vyasanaiḥ: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vyasana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• raudraiḥ: fierce, dreadful
• raudraiḥ: Karana (करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: raudra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifying vyasanaiḥ)

• kim: or what?
• kim: Prashna (प्रश्न/अव्ययार्थ)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kim (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रश्नार्थक (interrogative particle)

• vā: or
• vā: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/अव्ययार्थ)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्पार्थक (disjunctive particle: 'or')

• vyādha-dvijaḥ: a hunter-Brahmin (a Brahmin acting as hunter)
• vyādha-dvijaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vyādha (प्रातिपदिक) + dvija (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (dvijaḥ who is a vyādha)

• bhavān: you (sir)
• bhavān: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhavat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; आदरार्थ-प्रयोग (honorific 'you')

Speaker

Unspecified within the snippet (likely a righteous admonisher addressing a fallen brāhmaṇa in the Tīrthamāhātmya narrative)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Lohajaṃgha / Malimluca (the questioned figure; narrative indicates an identity to be clarified)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sages sternly question a brāhmaṇa turned thief; their faces show compassion mixed with righteous indignation, while the accused stands tense and ashamed.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It condemns theft and cruelty, warning that uncontrolled vices can make even a brāhmaṇa fall into hunter-like, adharma-driven conduct; true dharma requires compassion and self-restraint.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse occurs within the Nāgarakhaṇḍa’s Tīrthamāhātmya (Adhyāya 124), but the specific tīrtha name is not stated in the single-verse excerpt provided.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual (snāna, dāna, japa, vrata) is prescribed in this verse; it functions as ethical admonition within a tīrtha-centered narrative.