Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 22

Devanagari script

भ्रममाणो वने पुत्र मा प्रमादं करिष्यसि । लोभात्संजायते नाश इहलोके परत्र च

Transliteration

bhramamāṇo vane putra mā pramādaṃ kariṣyasi | lobhātsaṃjāyate nāśa ihaloke paratra ca

Translation

காட்டில் அலைந்து திரியும் போது, மகனே, அலட்சியம் செய்யாதே. பேராசையால் அழிவு உண்டாகும்—இவ்வுலகிலும் மறுவுலகிலும்.

Word by Word

• भ्रममाणः: wandering
• भ्रममाणः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भ्रम् (धातु) → भ्रममाण (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले शतृ-प्रत्ययान्तः (लट्-शतृ), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषणरूपेण (present active participle, masc. nom. sg.)

• वने: in the forest
• वने: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन (locative singular)

• पुत्र: O son
• पुत्र: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन (vocative singular)

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

• प्रमादम्: negligence, heedlessness
• प्रमादम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रमाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन (accusative singular)

• करिष्यसि: you will do
• करिष्यसि: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (simple future), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन (sg.)

• लोभात्: from greed
• लोभात्: Apadana (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), एकवचन (ablative singular)

• संजायते: arises, is born
• संजायते: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + जन् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (sg.)

• नाशः: destruction
• नाशः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन (nominative singular)

• इहलोके: in this world
• इहलोके: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इह + लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (इह-लोकः = this world); पुल्लिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन (locative singular)

• परत्र: in the next world
• परत्र: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: परत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देश/कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: in the other world/elsewhere)

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

Speaker

Nandinī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A senior guide/father-figure instructs a young traveler in a dense forest, warning against greed and carelessness; the path suggests a pilgrimage route through wilderness.

Characters & Entities

• Nandinī
• Vatsa
• Vana (forest)
• Lobha (greed)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It warns that carelessness and greed destroy both worldly well-being and spiritual progress, urging vigilance as a core dharmic discipline.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is named in this verse; it offers general guidance suitable for pilgrims moving through forests and liminal spaces.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it prescribes ethical restraint—avoid pramāda (negligence) and lobha (greed).