Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

परस्वेषु परस्त्रीषु देवब्राह्मण वस्तुषु । तृष्णां त्यज महाबाहो दुर्लभेष्वपि वस्तुषु

Transliteration

parasveṣu parastrīṣu devabrāhmaṇa vastuṣu | tṛṣṇāṃ tyaja mahābāho durlabheṣvapi vastuṣu

Translation

โอ้ผู้มีพาหาอันเกรียงไกร จงละความใคร่ปรารถนาในทรัพย์ของผู้อื่น ในภรรยาของผู้อื่น และในสิ่งของของเหล่าเทวะกับพราหมณ์ แม้สิ่งนั้นจะหายากและยั่วยวนก็ตาม

Word by Word

• परस्वेषु: in others' property
• परस्वेषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर + स्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुषभाव: परं स्वम् (others' property); नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), सप्तमी (7th/Locative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• परस्त्रीषु: in others' women
• परस्त्रीषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर + स्त्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष: परस्याः स्त्रियः; स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), सप्तमी (7th/Locative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• देवब्राह्मण: (belonging to) gods and brāhmaṇas
• देवब्राह्मण: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: देव + ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वन्द्वसमास (copulative) used adjectivally; (देवाश्च ब्राह्मणाश्च)

• वस्तुषु: in things; in objects
• वस्तुषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वस्तु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), सप्तमी (7th/Locative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• तृष्णाम्: craving; desire
• तृष्णाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तृष्णा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• त्यज: abandon
• त्यज: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: त्यज् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपदम्

• महाबाहो: O mighty-armed one
• महाबाहो: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + बाहु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारयसमास: महान्तौ बाहू यस्य (as epithet); पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

• दुर्लभेषु: in hard-to-obtain (things)
• दुर्लभेषु: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुर् + लभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter) (agreeing with वस्तुषु), सप्तमी (7th/Locative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle relation/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle: even/also)

• वस्तुषु: in things; in objects
• वस्तुषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वस्तु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), सप्तमी (7th/Locative), बहुवचन (Plural)

Speaker

Unspecified elder/teacher figure in Brahmottarakhaṇḍa (didactic instruction)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: mahābāho (heroic addressee)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A strong-armed hero turns away from glittering treasures and a seductive temptation; he instead bows toward a temple and a learned Brāhmaṇa, symbolizing renunciation of forbidden desire.

Characters & Entities

• Deva
• Brāhmaṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma requires restraint: do not covet others’ property or spouse, and never appropriate what is dedicated to Devas or Brāhmaṇas.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is referenced; it is ethical instruction.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it prescribes inner discipline—renunciation of craving (tṛṣṇā-tyāga).