Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 56

Devanagari script

अनेन कर्मणा तुभ्यं तपो यास्य ति संक्षयम् । चौर्यकर्मप्रवृत्तस्य ब्राह्मणैर्गर्हितस्य च

Transliteration

anena karmaṇā tubhyaṃ tapo yāsya ti saṃkṣayam | cauryakarmapravṛttasya brāhmaṇairgarhitasya ca

Translation

«Par cet acte, ton austérité sera réduite à néant ; celui qui s’adonne au vol est blâmé par les brāhmaṇas.»

Word by Word

• अनेन: by this
• अनेन: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; सर्वनाम-विशेषणम् (instrumental demonstrative: “by/with this”)

• कर्मणा: by the act/deed
• कर्मणा: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: karman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन

• तुभ्यम्: to you
• तुभ्यम्: Sampradāna (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yuṣmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, चतुर्थी (4th/चतुर्थी), एकवचन

• तपः: austerity/penance
• तपः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tapas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• यास्यति: will go/come to
• यास्यति: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: yā (धाातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future/लृट्), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• संक्षयम्: destruction/decay
• संक्षयम्: Gati/Karma (Goal as object/गत्यर्थक-कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saṃkṣaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• चौर्यकर्मप्रवृत्तस्य: of one engaged in theft-deeds
• चौर्यकर्मप्रवृत्तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चौर्य (प्रातिपदिक) + कर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रवृत्त (कृदन्त; √vṛt प्रवृत्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (चौर्यकर्मणि प्रवृत्तः इति)

• ब्राह्मणैः: by Brahmins
• ब्राह्मणैः: Karaṇa/Agent-in-passive (Instrumental agent/कर्तृ-तृतीया)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brāhmaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन

• गर्हितस्य: of (one) censured
• गर्हितस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: garhita (कृदन्त; √garh)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त) “censured”

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

Speaker

Likhita

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A stern brāhmaṇa admonishes a penitent figure; the aura of tapas (ascetic glow) is shown fading as the act of theft is recalled; onlookers embody communal censure.

Characters & Entities

• Likhita
• Śaṅkha
• Brāhmaṇas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tapas is protected by ethical purity; adharma like theft erodes spiritual merit and social-religious standing.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not specified in this verse; it supports the moral framework often taught through tīrtha narratives.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite; it states a moral consequence (tapas-kṣaya) for theft.