Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 22

Devanagari script

पापं निंदा भयं वैरं चत्वार्येतानि देहिनाम् । छद्ममार्गप्रपन्नानां तिष्ठंत्येव हि सर्वदा

Transliteration

pāpaṃ niṃdā bhayaṃ vairaṃ catvāryetāni dehinām | chadmamārgaprapannānāṃ tiṣṭhaṃtyeva hi sarvadā

Translation

പാപം, നിന്ദ, ഭയം, വൈരം—ഈ നാലും വേഷവും വഞ്ചനയും നിറഞ്ഞ മാർഗം ആശ്രയിച്ച ദേഹികളോടൊപ്പം എപ്പോഴും നിലനിൽക്കും।

Word by Word

• पापम्: sin, evil
• पापम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सूचीकरणे पदम्

• निन्दा: censure, blame
• निन्दा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nindā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• भयम्: fear
• भयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• वैरम्: enmity
• वैरम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vaira (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• चत्वारि: four
• चत्वारि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: catvāri (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्यावाचक; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; ‘एतानि’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• एतानि: these
• एतानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• देहिनाम्: of embodied beings
• देहिनाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dehin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन; सम्बन्ध/अधिकार

• छद्ममार्गप्रपन्नानाम्: of those who have resorted to a deceitful path
• छद्ममार्गप्रपन्नानाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: chadma + mārga + √pad (धातु) + kta (प्रपन्न)
• Form: समासः (तत्पुरुष; ‘छद्म-मार्गं प्रपन्न’); पुल्लिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन; सम्बन्ध

• तिष्ठन्ति: remain, persist
• तिष्ठन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √sthā (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• एव: indeed, certainly
• एव: Nipata (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निश्चय/अवधारणार्थक निपात

• हि: for, indeed
• हि: Nipata (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; हेत्वर्थक/समर्थक निपात

• सर्वदा: always
• सर्वदा: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sarvadā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण

Speaker

Dvijakumārakau (contextual continuation)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A masked figure walking a hidden path; four shadowy attendants follow—Sin (dark stain), Blame (pointing crowd), Fear (trembling aura), Enmity (drawn sword).

Characters & Entities

• Pāpa
• Nindā
• Bhaya
• Vaira
• Chadma-mārga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Choosing deceit binds one to ongoing negative karma—inner fear and outer conflict accompany falsehood.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.