Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

कस्यचित्त्वथ कालस्य परवित्तापहारकः । अलक्षद्ब्राह्मणस्तच्च दुःशीलाख्यो व्यचिंतयत्

Transliteration

kasyacittvatha kālasya paravittāpahārakaḥ | alakṣadbrāhmaṇastacca duḥśīlākhyo vyaciṃtayat

Translation

Or, à un certain moment, un brāhmaṇa voleur des biens d’autrui, nommé Duḥśīla, s’en aperçut et se mit à ourdir un dessein.

Word by Word

• कस्यचित्: of some
• कस्यचित्: Sambandha (Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; अनिश्चित-प्रयोग (indefinite)

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विरोध/विशेषार्थ (but/indeed)

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनन्तरार्थ (then)

• कालस्य: of time/at a time
• कालस्य: Sambandha (Genitive: of time)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; समय-सम्बन्ध

• परवित्तापहारकः: a stealer of others' wealth
• परवित्तापहारकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर + वित्त + अपहारक (प्रातिपदिक); घटक: पर (others') + वित्त (wealth) + अपहारक (stealer)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्तृ (agent noun)

• अलक्षत्: noticed/saw
• अलक्षत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √लक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/past), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• ब्राह्मणः: the brāhmaṇa
• ब्राह्मणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्तृ

• तत्: that (thing/situation)
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; सर्वनाम; कर्म (refers to the situation/that)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय

• दुःशीलाख्यः: named Duḥśīla
• दुःशीलाख्यः: Karta (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुःशील + आख्य (प्रातिपदिक); घटक: दुःशील (ill-natured) + आख्य (named/called)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण (of ब्राह्मणः)

• व्यचिंतयत्: thought/pondered
• व्यचिंतयत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि√चिन्त् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/past), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Sūta (contextual continuation)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A lean brāhmaṇa with sharp eyes (Duḥśīla) watches from the side as the hoarder guards his chest; the thief’s face shows calculation, fingers subtly counting possibilities.

Characters & Entities

• Duḥśīla

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Adharma attracts adharma: greed and hoarding invite criminals and misfortune, as moral causality unfolds.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse continues the tīrtha-framed narrative; the site is not named in this line.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it introduces an antagonist and his intent.