Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 51

Devanagari script

एकेनापि विहीना ये प्रभवंति कुबुद्धयः । लोभमोहान्विताः पापा जायंते ते विचेतसः

Transliteration

ekenāpi vihīnā ye prabhavaṃti kubuddhayaḥ | lobhamohānvitāḥ pāpā jāyaṃte te vicetasaḥ

Translation

എന്നാൽ ഈ ഗുണങ്ങളിൽ ഒന്നെങ്കിലും ഇല്ലാതെയും വളരുന്ന കുബുദ്ധികൾ ലാഭമോഹങ്ങളാൽ യുക്തരായ പാപികളായി മാറി, ശരിയായ വിവേകം ഇല്ലാത്തവരായി ജനിക്കുന്നു।

Word by Word

• एकेन: by/with one (thing/virtue)
• एकेन: Karana (Instrument/Reference/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक (contextual), तृतीया (Instrumental), एकवचन

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अप्यर्थ (even/also)

• विहीनाः: devoid (of)
• विहीनाः: Karta (Qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि-ही (धातु) + हीन (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifying ये)

• ये: who
• ये: Karta (Relative subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• प्रभवन्ति: prosper/prevail
• प्रभवन्ति: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-भू (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• कुबुद्धयः: people of bad intellect
• कुबुद्धयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कु + बुद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास ('कु-बुद्धि' = bad intellect); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• लोभमोहान्विताः: accompanied by greed and delusion
• लोभमोहान्विताः: Karta (Qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लोभ + मोह + अन्वित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पूर्वपद-द्वन्द्व (लोभ+मोह) ततः तृतीया-तत्पुरुष ('लोभमोहाभ्याम् अन्वित'); भूतकृदन्त, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषण

• पापाः: sinful
• पापाः: Karta (Qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषण

• जायन्ते: are born, arise
• जायन्ते: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• विचेतसः: senseless, undiscerning
• विचेतसः: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + चेतस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषण (predicate/attributive)

Speaker

Unspecified (didactic voice)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Two contrasting figures: a radiant disciplined teacher and, beside him, a grasping, confused pseudo-teacher surrounded by coins/offerings; a shadowy aura indicates moha, while pilgrims look uncertain.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Without ethical foundations like non-greed and freedom from craving, prominence becomes spiritually harmful, leading to delusion and sin.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is named in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is prescribed; it is a moral caution about inner qualifications.