Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

वेदपाठस्तथाऽस्तेयमहिंसा ह्रीः क्षमा दमः । निर्लोभताऽक्रोधता च निर्मोहोऽममताऽर तिः

Transliteration

vedapāṭhastathā'steyamahiṃsā hrīḥ kṣamā damaḥ | nirlobhatā'krodhatā ca nirmoho'mamatā'ra tiḥ

Translation

വേദപാഠം, അസ്തേയം, അഹിംസ, ഹ്രീ, ക്ഷമ, ദമം; നിർലോഭത, അക്രോധത, നിർമ്മോഹം, അമമത, വൈരാഗ്യം—ഇവ വ്രതത്തെ നിലനിർത്തുന്ന ഗുണങ്ങളായി പ്രഖ്യാപിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• वेदपाठः: recitation of the Veda
• वेदपाठः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेद + पाठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तथा: also, likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (also/likewise)

• अस्तेयम्: non-stealing
• अस्तेयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्तेय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; भाववाचक (non-stealing)

• अहिंसा: non-violence
• अहिंसा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहिंसा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• ह्रीः: modesty, shame (sense of propriety)
• ह्रीः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ह्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• क्षमा: forbearance
• क्षमा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षमा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• दमः: self-control
• दमः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• निर्लोभता: non-greed
• निर्लोभता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निर् + लोभता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; निः-उपसर्गपूर्वक (absence of greed)

• अक्रोधता: non-anger
• अक्रोधता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अ + क्रोधता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; नञ्-तत्पुरुष (absence of anger)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• निर्मोहः: freedom from delusion
• निर्मोहः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निर् + मोह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; निः-उपसर्गपूर्वक (absence of delusion)

• अममता: non-possessiveness
• अममता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अ + ममता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; नञ्-तत्पुरुष (absence of possessiveness)

• रतिः: delight/attachment (or, if read as aratiḥ: non-delight)
• रतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; पाठभेदे 'अरतिḥ' सम्भवः

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; exact speaker not stated in snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim practicing restraint: reciting Veda near a riverbank at dawn; refusing a temptation (symbolic offering of wealth turned away); calming anger (hands in prayer); simple belongings indicating amamatā; serene face indicating nirmoha and arati.

Characters & Entities

• Veda

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Spiritual merit in vrata and tīrtha contexts is strengthened by disciplined ethics—non-violence, honesty, self-control, forgiveness, and non-attachment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single site is named in this verse; it functions as a dharma-framework within the broader tīrtha narration.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Veda-pāṭha (Vedic recitation/study) is prescribed alongside moral restraints as part of observance.