Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 177

Devanagari script

धर्मं न व्ययते कोऽपि मुनीनां पूर्वसंचितम् । तपोधर्मविहीनानां गतिस्तेषां न विद्यते

Transliteration

dharmaṃ na vyayate ko'pi munīnāṃ pūrvasaṃcitam | tapodharmavihīnānāṃ gatisteṣāṃ na vidyate

Translation

ບໍ່ມີໃຜຈະຫຼຸດລົງໄດ້ເຖິງທຳມະທີ່ບັນດາມຸນີໃນອະດີດໄດ້ສະສົມໄວ້; ແຕ່ຜູ້ຂາດຕະປະແລະທຳມະ ຍ່ອມບໍ່ມີຄະຕິອັນດີ.

Word by Word

• धर्मम्: dharma, merit
• धर्मम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Negation (Nishedha)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध-निपात (negation)

• व्ययते: is spent, diminishes
• व्ययते: Kriyā (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: व्यय् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present); प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person); एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• कः: anyone
• कः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन; अनिर्दिष्ट/प्रश्नार्थक-प्रयोगेऽपि अत्र अनिश्चितार्थ (anyone)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Emphasis (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (even/also; with कः → ‘anyone’)

• मुनीनाम्: of sages
• मुनीनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive); बहुवचन

• पूर्वसंचितम्: previously accumulated
• पूर्वसंचितम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of धर्मम्)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूर्व + संचित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन; विशेषण (past accumulated); संचित = सम्+चि (धातु) क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle)

• तपोधर्मविहीनानाम्: of those lacking austerity and dharma
• तपोधर्मविहीनानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive: of the devoid ones)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तपस् + धर्म + विहीन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-विभक्ति; बहुवचन; विशेषण (of those devoid of austerity and dharma)

• गतिः: destination, course
• गतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; एकवचन

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-विभक्ति; बहुवचन

• न: not
• न: Negation (Nishedha)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध-निपात

• विद्यते: exists, is found
• विद्यते: Kriyā (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: विद् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present); प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

Speaker

Guru

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Disciple/pilgrim interlocutor

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A line of ancient sages in meditation, their accumulated radiance forming an undiminishing aura; in contrast, a heedless figure without discipline stands in shadow at the edge of a sacred riverbank.

Characters & Entities

• Munī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage and sacred narratives are fulfilled by tapas and dharma; without them, spiritual progress (gati) is blocked.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No particular tīrtha is named in this verse; it gives general dharmic doctrine within the tīrthamāhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It implicitly prescribes tapas (austerity) and dharmic living rather than a specific ceremonial act.