Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 69

Devanagari script

धर्मं करोतु दंभेन राजानं चोपसेवताम् । मधुमांसं सदाश्नातु बिसस्तैन्यं करोति यः

Transliteration

dharmaṃ karotu daṃbhena rājānaṃ copasevatām | madhumāṃsaṃ sadāśnātu bisastainyaṃ karoti yaḥ

Translation

જે બિસ (કમળની ડાંડી) ચોરી કરે, તે દંભથી ‘ધર્મ’ કરે, લાભ માટે રાજાની સેવા કરે અને સદા મધુ તથા માંસનું ભક્ષણ કરે।

Word by Word

• धर्मम्: dharma, righteousness
• धर्मम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन — Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• करोतु: let (him) do
• करोतु: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (आज्ञार्थ), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन — Imperative, 3rd person, Singular

• दंभेन: with hypocrisy, by deceit
• दंभेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दंभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन — Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• राजानम्: the king
• राजानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन — Masculine, Accusative, Singular

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

• उपसेवताम्: let them serve/attend
• उपसेवताम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप-सेव् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार, प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन — Imperative, 3rd person, Plural

• मधुमांसम्: honey and meat
• मधुमांसम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मधु + मांस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन — Neuter, Accusative, Singular; द्वन्द्व-समास (मधु च मांसं च)

• सदा: always
• सदा: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय — adverb of time

• अश्नातु: let (him) eat
• अश्नातु: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अश् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन — Imperative, 3rd person, Singular

• बिसस्तैन्यम्: theft of lotus-stalks
• बिसस्तैन्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बिस + स्तैन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन — Neuter, Accusative, Singular; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (बिसस्य स्तैन्यम्)

• करोति: does, commits
• करोति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन — Present, 3rd person, Singular

• यः: who (he who)
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (कर्ता), एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Singular; सम्बन्धक-सर्वनाम

Speaker

Kaśyapa (continuing the oath/curse sequence)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A lotus-pond near a shrine; a man secretly cutting lotus-stalks while wearing a pious mark; in the background, he flatters a king for reward and feasts on rich fare—contrasted with a serene ascetic by the water.

Characters & Entities

• Kaśyapa
• rājā (king)
• daṃbha (hypocrisy)
• madhu (honey)
• māṃsa (meat)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Adharma can masquerade as dharma; theft is shown to breed hypocrisy and worldly compromise.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

It is within Nāgara Khaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya; the excerpt does not name the location.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a moral pronouncement about karmic/social degradation following theft.