Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 11

Devanagari script

न कृतं च व्रतं तेन श्रद्धापूतेन चेतसा । न दत्तं ब्राह्मणेभ्यश्च न च यष्टं कदाचन

Transliteration

na kṛtaṃ ca vrataṃ tena śraddhāpūtena cetasā | na dattaṃ brāhmaṇebhyaśca na ca yaṣṭaṃ kadācana

Translation

L'esprit non purifié par la foi, il n'accomplit aucun vœu ; il ne donna rien aux brahmanes et n'offrit jamais de sacrifice.

Word by Word

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, निषेधार्थक-निपात (negation particle)

• कृतम्: done/performed
• कृतम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रियाविशेषण-भाव)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृत (कृदन्त; √कृ (धातु))
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

• व्रतम्: vow/observance
• व्रतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्रत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular)

• तेन: by him
• तेन: Kartr (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (pronoun), त्रिलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• श्रद्धापूतेन: with (a mind) purified by faith
• श्रद्धापूतेन: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रद्धा + पूत (कृदन्त; √पू (धातु))
• Form: तत्पुरुष (instrumental sense: 'purified by faith'), भूतकृदन्त, पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• चेतसा: with mind
• चेतसा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चेतस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, निषेधार्थक-निपात

• दत्तम्: given
• दत्तम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रियाविशेषण-भाव)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दत्त (कृदन्त; √दा (धातु))
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular)

• ब्राह्मणेभ्यः: to Brahmins
• ब्राह्मणेभ्यः: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Dative/4th), बहुवचन (Plural)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चयार्थक-निपात

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, निषेधार्थक-निपात

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चयार्थक-निपात

• यष्टम्: sacrificed/worshipped (performed yajña)
• यष्टम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रियाविशेषण-भाव)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यष्ट (कृदन्त; √यज् (धातु))
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular)

• कदाचन: ever/at any time
• कदाचन: Kala-adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कदाचन (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, कालवाचक (indefinite time adverb)

Speaker

Narrator (deduced: a Purāṇic narrator within Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A king shown turning away from a yajña-vedi and from brāhmaṇas seeking alms; the sacred fire is unlit, offerings untouched—symbolizing a faithless mind.

Characters & Entities

• vrata
• Brāhmaṇas
• yajña

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Faith (śraddhā), vows (vrata), charity (dāna), and sacrifice (yajña) sustain dharma; their neglect signals spiritual decay.

Which specific holy site (Tīrtha) is glorified here?

No particular tīrtha is cited in this verse; it highlights the dharmic practices that tīrtha-visitation traditionally supports.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Vrata observance, dāna to Brāhmaṇas, and yajña are referenced as normative practices (not performed by the impious king).