Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

वरं बुभुक्षया वासो मा चौरकरगा वयम् । अर्जुन उवाच । अद्भुतं वर्ण्यते विप्र के हि चौराः प्रकीर्तिताः

Transliteration

varaṃ bubhukṣayā vāso mā caurakaragā vayam | arjuna uvāca | adbhutaṃ varṇyate vipra ke hi caurāḥ prakīrtitāḥ

Translation

ਭੁੱਖ ਸਹਿ ਕੇ ਵੱਸਣਾ ਚੰਗਾ ਹੈ, ਪਰ ਚੋਰਾਂ ਦੇ ਹੱਥ ਨਹੀਂ ਪੈਣਾ। ਅਰਜੁਨ ਨੇ ਕਿਹਾ: ਹੇ ਬ੍ਰਾਹਮਣ, ਇਹ ਅਚੰਭਾ ਹੈ—ਤੁਸੀਂ ਜਿਨ੍ਹਾਂ ‘ਚੋਰਾਂ’ ਦਾ ਜ਼ਿਕਰ ਕਰਦੇ ਹੋ, ਉਹ ਕੌਣ ਹਨ?

Word by Word

• वरम्: rather, better
• वरम्: Sambandha (Adverbial modifier/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात/क्रियाविशेषण) — ‘rather/better’ इत्यर्थे

• बुभुक्षया: by/with hunger
• बुभुक्षया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बुभुक्षा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन — ‘with hunger/through hunger’

• वासः: clothing, garment
• वासः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वासस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (वा पुंलिङ्ग-प्रयोगः), प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• मा: do not
• मा: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मा (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (prohibitive particle)

• चौरकरगाः: robbers (lit. those who go to the thief’s hand)
• चौरकरगाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चौर + कर + ग (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः/कर्मधारय-सन्निकर्षः — ‘चौरस्य करः’ (thief’s hand) + ‘ग’ (going/coming) → ‘those who come to the thief’s hand/robbers’

• वयम्: we
• वयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• अर्जुनः: Arjuna
• अर्जुनः: Karta (Speaker/वक्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्जुन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• अद्भुतम्: wonderful, astonishing
• अद्भुतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अद्भुत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण

• वर्ण्यते: is described
• वर्ण्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वर्ण् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive)

• विप्र: O Brahmin
• विप्र: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

• के: who? which (ones)?
• के: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; प्रश्नवाचक

• हि: indeed, surely
• हि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात) — अवधारण/हेतौ

• चौराः: thieves
• चौराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चौर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• प्रकीर्तिताः: are proclaimed/mentioned
• प्रकीर्तिताः: Karta (Predicate adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र + कीर्त् (धातु) → प्रकीर्तित (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; ‘having been proclaimed/mentioned’

Speaker

Arjuna

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brāhmaṇa (contextually Nārada as the responding sage in the sequence)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A forest-ashram dialogue: Arjuna, alert and questioning, faces a serene sage (Nārada implied in the sequence), while shadowy figures symbolizing ‘thieves’ hover as allegories of inner vices; the mood is contemplative yet tense.

Characters & Entities

• Arjuna
• vipra (brāhmaṇa)
• caurāḥ (thieves)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A seeker should inquire deeply into the causes of spiritual loss; discernment begins by asking the right question.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The dialogue continues within the Mahī–Sāgara-Saṅgama narrative context.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a moral preference (endure hunger rather than be robbed) and a request for clarification.