Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 35

Devanagari script

तस्माद्देयं यथाशक्त्या न स्तेयं कनकं बुधैः । इच्छद्भिः परमं सौख्यं स्वशरीरस्य शाश्वतम्

Transliteration

tasmāddeyaṃ yathāśaktyā na steyaṃ kanakaṃ budhaiḥ | icchadbhiḥ paramaṃ saukhyaṃ svaśarīrasya śāśvatam

Translation

तस्माद् यथाशक्ति दानं कर्तव्यं, बुधैः कनकं न स्तेयं; ये परमं सौख्यं स्वशरीरस्य शाश्वतं च इच्छन्ति, ते एवमेव आचरन्तु।

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: therefore; from that
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (तस्मात्-प्रयोगः), अपादानार्थे/हेतौ (ablatival sense: 'therefore/from that')

• देयम्: to be given; should be given
• देयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दा (धातु) + यत् (कृत्-प्रत्यय) → देय (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कृदन्त (भाव्य/कर्तव्य-अर्थे), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन (impersonal: 'it should be given')

• यथा-शक्त्या: according to one’s ability
• यथा-शक्त्या: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय) + शक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; 'यथा' उपपदेन सह, शक्ति-शब्दः तृतीया एकवचन (instrumental adverbial: 'according to ability')

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (निषेध-अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negation particle)

• स्तेयम्: theft; stealing
• स्तेयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्तेय (प्रातिपदिक; 'theft')
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन; निषेध-वाक्ये विधेय/निषेध्य-भावः ('stealing' as prohibited act)

• कनकम्: gold
• कनकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कनक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचन

• बुधैः: by the wise (people)
• बुधैः: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बुध (प्रातिपदिक; 'wise')
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया बहुवचन (instrumental: 'by the wise')

• इच्छद्भिः: by those who desire
• इच्छद्भिः: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इष् (धातु) → इच्छत् (वर्तमान-कृदन्त/शतृ)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया बहुवचन (instrumental: 'by those desiring')

• परमम्: supreme; highest
• परमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचन; 'सौख्यम्' विशेषणम्

• सौख्यम्: happiness; comfort
• सौख्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सौख्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचन

• स्व-शरीरस्य: of one’s own body
• स्व-शरीरस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + शरीर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष-समास; 'स्वस्य शरीरम्'। नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी एकवचन

• शाश्वतम्: eternal; lasting
• शाश्वतम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शाश्वत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचन; 'सौख्यम्' विशेषणम्

Speaker

Sahasrāṃśu (Sūrya, the Sun-god)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Bhāskara-traya tīrtha (implied in the surrounding narrative)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A brāhmaṇa (dvija) addressed in the narrative frame

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim-teacher instructs a seeker near a sacred precinct: one hand in teaching gesture, the other offering alms; a symbolic heap of gold kept untouched, emphasizing asteya.

Characters & Entities

• Sahasrāṃśu
• dāna (charity)
• asteya (non-stealing)
• kanaka (gold)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dāna purifies and theft destroys; ethical living sustains both spiritual merit and bodily well-being.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The teaching is embedded in a Nāgarakhaṇḍa tīrtha account that frames dharma as the true fruit of pilgrimage; the site is not named in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Give charity according to your capacity (yathāśakti-dāna) and observe non-stealing (asteya), especially regarding gold.