Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 72

Devanagari script

नृशंसोऽस्तु स सर्वत्र समृद्ध्या चाप्यहंकृतः । मत्सरी पिशुनश्चैव बिसस्तैन्यं करोति यः

Transliteration

nṛśaṃso'stu sa sarvatra samṛddhyā cāpyahaṃkṛtaḥ | matsarī piśunaścaiva bisastainyaṃ karoti yaḥ

Translation

ആർ ബിസം മോഷ്ടിക്കുമോ, അവൻ എല്ലായിടത്തും ക്രൂരനായിരിക്കട്ടെ; സമൃദ്ധിയിലും അഹങ്കാരിയായിരിക്കട്ടെ; അസൂയയും പിശുനത്വവും ഉള്ളവനായിരിക്കട്ടെ।

Word by Word

• नृशंसः: cruel, ruthless
• नृशंसः: Karta-prakriti (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नृशंस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Singular; विशेषण

• अस्तु: let (him) be
• अस्तु: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन — Imperative, 3rd person, Singular

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (कर्ता), एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सर्वत्र: everywhere
• सर्वत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्वत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय — adverb of place

• समृद्ध्या: by prosperity, with wealth
• समृद्ध्या: Karana (Instrument/Means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: समृद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन — Feminine, Instrumental, Singular

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

• अपि: also, even
• अपि: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपि-भाव अव्यय — particle

• अहंकृतः: made arrogant, egoistic
• अहंकृतः: Karta-prakriti (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अहंकार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कृदन्त (कृत-प्रत्ययान्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — ‘made proud/egoistic’; predicate adjective

• मत्सरी: envious
• मत्सरी: Karta-prakriti (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मत्सरिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Singular; विशेषण

• पिशुनः: slandering, malicious informer
• पिशुनः: Karta-prakriti (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पिशुन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Singular; विशेषण

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

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक अव्यय — emphatic particle

• बिसस्तैन्यम्: theft of lotus-stalks
• बिसस्तैन्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बिस + स्तैन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन — Neuter, Accusative, Singular; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (बिसस्य स्तैन्यम्)

• करोति: does, commits
• करोति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन — Present, 3rd person, Singular

• यः: who (he who)
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (कर्ता), एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Singular; सम्बन्धक-सर्वनाम

Speaker

Ṛṣi (speaker not named in this specific verse; continuing collective oath sequence)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: tirtha

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A figure with stolen lotus-stalks morphs into a harsh, sharp-eyed person; scenes of him mocking others, whispering slander, and standing arrogantly amid wealth; a tīrtha pond reflects his distorted inner state.

Characters & Entities

• matsara (envy)
• piśuna (slanderer)
• ahaṃkāra (arrogance)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A single act of theft is portrayed as a seed that blossoms into enduring vices—cruelty, ego, envy, and harmful speech.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not specified in the excerpt; it remains within the Nāgara Khaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; it is a warning about ethical consequences.