Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

नक्षत्ररंगजीवी च याति वैतरणीं नरः । धनयौवनमत्तो यो धनहा कृष्णमेति सः

Transliteration

nakṣatraraṃgajīvī ca yāti vaitaraṇīṃ naraḥ | dhanayauvanamatto yo dhanahā kṛṣṇameti saḥ

Translation

നക്ഷത്രപ്രദർശനങ്ങളും കാഴ്ചവിരുന്നുകളും നടത്തി ജീവിക്കുന്നവൻ വൈതരണിയിലേക്കു പോകുന്നു. ധനവും യൗവനവും എന്ന മദത്തിൽ മത്തനായി ധനം നശിപ്പിക്കുന്നവൻ ‘കൃഷ്ണ’ എന്ന നരകാവസ്ഥയെ പ്രാപിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• नक्षत्ररङ्गजीवी: one who lives by star-shows/astrology-entertainment
• नक्षत्ररङ्गजीवी: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नक्षत्र + रङ्ग + जीविन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (नक्षत्राणां रङ्गः तेन जीवति)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction)

• याति: goes
• याति: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• वैतरणीम्: the Vaitaraṇī (river of hell)
• वैतरणीम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैतरणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• धनयौवनमत्तः: intoxicated with wealth and youth
• धनयौवनमत्तः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धन + यौवन + मत्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; समासः—द्वन्द्वपूर्वक-तत्पुरुषः (धनेन यौवनेन च मत्तः)

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

• धनहा: a destroyer/robber of wealth
• धनहा: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धन + हन् (धातु) → धनहन्/धनहा (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कृदन्तः—हन् धातोः क्विप्/अण्-प्रायः (agent noun), समासः—उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (धनं हन्ति)

• कृष्णम्: Kṛṣṇa / the dark (realm/person)
• कृष्णम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• एति: goes/attains
• एति: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: इ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; निर्देशार्थक (demonstrative pronoun)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) (deduced from Māheśvara-khaṇḍa narrative convention)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vaitaraṇī (naraka-river) / Kṛṣṇa (dark naraka-state)

Type: river

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis/Devotees (contextual audience of the khanda)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A moral tableau: a charlatan astrologer performing a gaudy spectacle before a crowd; beside him a youth drunk on wealth squanders riches; in the background the dread river Vaitaraṇī and a dark ‘Kṛṣṇa’ hell-state loom as karmic shadows.

Characters & Entities

• Vaitaraṇī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Right livelihood and humility are dharmic; prideful misuse of wealth and deceptive living lead to suffering.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No terrestrial tīrtha is praised; Vaitaraṇī is referenced as a feared infernal river/threshold.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the implied guidance is ethical conduct and restraint from dhana-mada.