Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

किं धनं च हरंत्येते येभ्यो बिभ्यति ब्राह्मणाः । नारद उवाच । कामक्रोधादयश्चौरास्तप एव धनं तथा

Transliteration

kiṃ dhanaṃ ca haraṃtyete yebhyo bibhyati brāhmaṇāḥ | nārada uvāca | kāmakrodhādayaścaurāstapa eva dhanaṃ tathā

Translation

“แล้วพวกเขาขโมยทรัพย์อะไรเล่า จนพราหมณ์ยังหวาดกลัว?” นารทตอบว่า “กามะ โกรธะ และสิ่งทั้งหลายเช่นนั้นแลคือโจร; และทรัพย์ที่ถูกชิงไปคือ ‘ตปัส’ คือความเพียรบำเพ็ญตบะของตนเองนั่นแท้”

Word by Word

• किम्: what?
• किम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक

• धनम्: wealth
• धनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

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

• हरन्ति: they steal/take away
• हरन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हृ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपद

• एते: these (ones)
• एते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• येभ्यः: from whom
• येभ्यः: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), बहुवचन

• बिभ्यति: fears
• बिभ्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भी (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• ब्राह्मणाः: Brahmins
• ब्राह्मणाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• नारदः: Narada
• नारदः: Karta (Speaker/वक्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

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

• कामक्रोधादयः: desire, anger, and the like
• कामक्रोधादयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काम + क्रोध + आदि (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः — ‘कामः क्रोधः आदयः’ (desire, anger, etc.)

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

• तपः: austerity, penance
• तपः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• एव: indeed, alone
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात) — अवधारणार्थक

• धनम्: wealth
• धनम्: Karta (Predicate noun/प्रत्ययार्थ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• तथा: thus, likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Adverbial modifier/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण) — ‘so, thus’

Speaker

Nārada

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Arjuna

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Nārada, calm and luminous, instructs Arjuna; behind them, personified Kāma and Krodha attempt to snatch a glowing ‘tapas’ jewel or flame from a meditating ascetic, illustrating theft of spiritual power.

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• brāhmaṇas
• kāma
• krodha
• tapas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The greatest robbers are inner vices—desire and anger—because they steal tapas and thereby diminish spiritual power and merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The teaching is delivered within a tīrtha narrative, but the verse itself glorifies inner discipline rather than a named site.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicit discipline: guarding tapas by restraining kāma, krodha, and allied vices.