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
「蓮の茎を盗む者は、偽善をもって『ダルマ』を行い、利を求めて王に仕え、蜜と肉とを常に食らえ。」
Word by Word
धर्मम्dharma, righteousness
धर्मम्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootधर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन — Masculine, Accusative, Singular
करोतुlet (him) do
करोतु:
Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootकृ (धातु)
Formलोट्-लकार (आज्ञार्थ), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन — Imperative, 3rd person, Singular
दंभेनwith hypocrisy, by deceit
दंभेन:
Karana (Instrument/करण)
TypeNoun
Rootदंभ (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन — Masculine, Instrumental, Singular
राजानम्the king
राजानम्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootराजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन — Masculine, Accusative, Singular
चand
च:
Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootच (अव्यय)
Formसमुच्चय-बोधक अव्यय — conjunction
उपसेवताम्let them serve/attend
उपसेवताम्:
Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootउप-सेव् (धातु)
Formलोट्-लकार, प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन — Imperative, 3rd person, Plural
मधुमांसम्honey and meat
मधुमांसम्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootमधु + मांस (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन — Neuter, Accusative, Singular; द्वन्द्व-समास (मधु च मांसं च)
सदाalways
सदा:
Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootसदा (अव्यय)
Formकालवाचक अव्यय — adverb of time
अश्नातुlet (him) eat
अश्नातु:
Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootअश् (धातु)
Formलोट्-लकार, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन — Imperative, 3rd person, Singular
बिसस्तैन्यम्theft of lotus-stalks
बिसस्तैन्यम्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootबिस + स्तैन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन — Neuter, Accusative, Singular; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (बिसस्य स्तैन्यम्)
करोतिdoes, commits
करोति:
Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootकृ (धातु)
Formलट्-लकार (वर्तमान), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन — Present, 3rd person, Singular
यःwho (he who)
यः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootयद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, 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
K
KaśyapaR
rājā (king)D
daṃbha (hypocrisy)M
madhu (honey)M
māṃsa (meat)FAQs
Adharma can masquerade as dharma; theft is shown to breed hypocrisy and worldly compromise.
It is within Nāgara Khaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya; the excerpt does not name the location.
None; it is a moral pronouncement about karmic/social degradation following theft.