Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 37

Devanagari script

चलदलदललीलाचंचले जीवलोके तृणलवलघुसारे सर्वसंसारसौख्ये । अपहरति दुराशः शासनं ब्राह्मणानां नरकगहनगर्त्तावर्तपातोत्सुको यः

Transliteration

caladaladalalīlācaṃcale jīvaloke tṛṇalavalaghusāre sarvasaṃsārasaukhye | apaharati durāśaḥ śāsanaṃ brāhmaṇānāṃ narakagahanagarttāvartapātotsuko yaḥ

Translation

揺れ動く蓮の花弁の戯れのように移ろうこの生の世で、輪廻（サンサーラ）の快楽は草の葉ほどにも取るに足らぬ。そのうえで、邪なる欲に駆られてブラーフマナの書付けの授与状を奪う者は、地獄の深い穴へと渦巻く墜落を喜んで急ぐ。

Word by Word

• चल: moving
• चल: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; समासाङ्ग; विशेषणम् (जीवलोके)

• दलदल: mire
• दलदल: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दलदल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; समासाङ्ग (mire/quagmire)

• लीला: play/sport
• लीला: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लीला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; समासाङ्ग

• चञ्चले: in the fickle/unstable (world)
• चञ्चले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चञ्चल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समास (चलदलदललीलाचञ्चले = unsteady like moving mire-play) विशेषणम् (जीवलोके)

• जीवलोके: in the world of living beings
• जीवलोके: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जीव + लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (जीवानां लोकः)

• तृण: grass
• तृण: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तृण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; समासाङ्ग

• लव: a tiny bit
• लव: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; समासाङ्ग (a small particle)

• लघु: light/insignificant
• लघु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लघु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; समासाङ्ग

• सारे: in (that) trivial essence
• सारे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (तृणलवलघुसारे = having essence as trivial as a blade/particle of grass) विशेषणम् (सौख्ये)

• सर्व: all
• सर्व: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; समासाङ्ग

• संसार: worldly existence
• संसार: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संसार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; समासाङ्ग

• सौख्ये: in worldly happiness
• सौख्ये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सौख्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (संसारस्य सौख्यम्)

• अपहरति: steals away
• अपहरति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अप-हृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• दुराशः: a man of wicked desire
• दुराशः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुराश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि (दुरा आशा यस्य = one of evil desire)

• शासनम्: command/order/property (here: decree/possession)
• शासनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शासन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• ब्राह्मणानाम्: of Brahmins
• ब्राह्मणानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• नरक: hell
• नरक: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नरक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक; समासाङ्ग

• गहन: deep/terrible
• गहन: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गहन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक; समासाङ्ग

• गर्त: pit
• गर्त: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गर्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक; समासाङ्ग (pit)

• आवर्त: whirl/cycle
• आवर्त: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आवर्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक; समासाङ्ग (whirlpool/cycle)

• पात: fall
• पात: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पात (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक; समासाङ्ग (fall)

• उत्सुकः: eager (for)
• उत्सुकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्सुक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (पाते उत्सुकः = eager for falling) विशेषणम् (यः)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सम्बन्धक (relative pronoun)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A poetic moral vision: shimmering lotus pond with trembling petals overlays a bustling human world; a greedy man snatches a copperplate grant from brāhmaṇas; beneath him opens a spiraling whirlpool leading into a dark, cavernous hell-pit.

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇa
• Naraka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Worldly gain is fleeting; violating dharma by confiscating brāhmaṇa grants leads to grave karmic downfall.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is specified; the verse functions as a moral-theological warning within the Dharmāraṇya discourse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It implies a prohibition: do not seize or invalidate brāhmaṇa śāsanas (legal/religious land grants).