Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 60

Devanagari script

विभक्तस्तु यदा पुत्रो भ्राता वाऽपहरेद्धनम् । तदा दोषमवाप्नोति चौर्योत्थं मतमेव मे

Transliteration

vibhaktastu yadā putro bhrātā vā'pahareddhanam | tadā doṣamavāpnoti cauryotthaṃ matameva me

Translation

Mais lorsqu’un fils —ou un frère— déjà séparé dans le partage s’empare d’une richesse, il encourt une faute : elle naît du vol. Telle est ma conviction arrêtée.

Word by Word

• विभक्तः: separated (after partition)
• विभक्तः: Karta (Subject qualifier/कर्तृ-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vibhakta (कृदन्त; वि+√bhaj)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त) “divided/separated”

• तु: but
• तु: Discourse (Contrast/विरोध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/विशेषण-अव्यय (particle: “but/indeed”)

• यदा: when
• यदा: Adverbial (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yadā (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal: “when”)

• पुत्रः: son
• पुत्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: putra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• भ्राता: brother
• भ्राता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhrātṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• वा: or
• वा: Discourse (Alternative/विकल्प)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्प-अव्यय (disjunctive particle: “or”)

• अपहरेत्: should take away/steal
• अपहरेत्: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: apa+√hṛ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative/विधिलिङ्), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• धनम्: wealth
• धनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dhana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• तदा: then
• तदा: Adverbial (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tadā (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (then)

• दोषम्: fault
• दोषम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: doṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• अवाप्नोति: incurs/attains
• अवाप्नोति: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ava+√āp (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present/लट्), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• चौर्योत्थम्: arising from theft
• चौर्योत्थम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चौर्य (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्थ (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक; उत्+√sthā/√utthā “arisen from”)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (चौर्यात् उत्थम्) विशेषणम् दोषम्

• मतम्: opinion
• मतम्: Karta/Predicate (Statement/वाक्य-प्रधान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mata (कृदन्त; √man)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त) “opinion/view”

• एव: indeed
• एव: Emphasis (अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्यय (emphatic particle: “indeed/only”)

• मे: my
• मे: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन (enclitic)

Speaker

Likhita

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaṅkha

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Likhita draws a clear dividing line (symbolic partition) between two households; the act of crossing it to take wealth is shown as shadowed, indicating theft-born fault.

Characters & Entities

• Likhita
• Śaṅkha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Once boundaries are established, violating them becomes adharma; separation in estate makes unauthorized taking equivalent to theft.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not stated in this verse; it is part of the dharma instruction within the tīrtha-māhātmya narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it defines wrongdoing (doṣa) in terms of property separation.