Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 70

Devanagari script

करजैः करजच्छेदं विवर्जयेच्छुभाय तु । यदायत्यां त्यजेत्तन्न कुर्यात्कर्म प्रयत्नतः

Transliteration

karajaiḥ karajacchedaṃ vivarjayecchubhāya tu | yadāyatyāṃ tyajettanna kuryātkarma prayatnataḥ

Translation

ଶୁଭତା ପାଇଁ ନଖରେ ନଖ ଛିରି କାଟିବାକୁ ବର୍ଜନ କରିବା ଉଚିତ। ଯାହାକୁ ପରେ ପଶ୍ଚାତ୍ତାପରେ ତ୍ୟାଗ କରିବାକୁ ପଡ଼ିବ, ସେ କାମ ଚେଷ୍ଟା କରି ମଧ୍ୟ କରିବା ଉଚିତ ନୁହେଁ।

Word by Word

• करजैः: with fingernails
• करजैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: करज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन (Plural)

• करजच्छेदम्: cutting (something) with nails / nail-cutting
• करजच्छेदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: करज-च्छेद (प्रातिपदिक; करज + छेद)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• विवर्जयेत्: should avoid
• विवर्जयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि√वर्ज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• शुभाय: for auspiciousness
• शुभाय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (4th/Dative), एकवचन (Singular)

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle; contrast/emphasis)

• यदा: when
• यदा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb: when)

• आयत्याम्: in the future
• आयत्याम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आयति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन (Singular)

• त्यजेत्: should abandon
• त्यजेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: त्यज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negative particle)

• कुर्यात्: should do
• कुर्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• कर्म: act, deed
• कर्म: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• प्रयत्नतः: carefully, with effort
• प्रयत्नतः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रयत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त-अव्यय (adverbial ablative: -तः), ‘with effort/carefully’

Speaker

Sūta (deduced: Brāhma Khaṇḍa didactic narration in Dharmāraṇya context)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim trims nails properly with a small implement, seated neatly; above/behind, a symbolic ‘mirror of conscience’ motif—an elder or inner-voice figure indicating restraint before action.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Auspicious life is built by mindful habits and refusing actions that conscience will later reject.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned; the verse is general ethical instruction.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A rule of auspicious personal grooming (avoid tearing nails) and a broader vow-like restraint against regrettable actions.