Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 46

Devanagari script

यत्किंचित्क्रियते विप्र तामसं भावमाश्रितैः । तत्सर्वं जायते व्यर्थं किं न वेत्ति भवा निदम्

Transliteration

yatkiṃcitkriyate vipra tāmasaṃ bhāvamāśritaiḥ | tatsarvaṃ jāyate vyarthaṃ kiṃ na vetti bhavā nidam

Translation

โอ้พราหมณ์ กิจใดๆ ที่ผู้ยึดอาศัยภาวะตมัสอันมืดทึบกระทำลง ย่อมกลายเป็นโมฆะทั้งสิ้น ไฉนท่านจึงไม่รู้ข้อนี้?

Word by Word

• यत्: whatever
• यत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक सर्वनाम

• किंचित्: anything (at all)
• किंचित्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् + चित् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक + अव्यय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; अनिश्चितार्थक सर्वनाम

• क्रियते: is done/is performed
• क्रियते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

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

• तामसम्: tamasic/dark
• तामसम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तामस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; विशेषण

• भावम्: state/disposition
• भावम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भाव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• आश्रितैः: by those who have resorted to
• आश्रितैः: Karana (Instrument/Agent-instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ-श्रि (धातु) → आश्रित (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन; कर्तृवाचक (agentive)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; निर्देशक सर्वनाम

• सर्वम्: all
• सर्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; विशेषण

• जायते: becomes/arises
• जायते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• व्यर्थम्: in vain/useless
• व्यर्थम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: व्यर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणवत् (adverbially)

• किम्: what?/why?
• किम्: Prashna (Interrogative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक

• न: not
• न: Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय (negation particle)

• वेत्ति: knows
• वेत्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: विद् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• भवान्: you (honorific)
• भवान्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भवत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; आदरार्थक सर्वनाम

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; निर्देशक

Speaker

Sūrya (deduced from immediate surrounding verses where Sūrya addresses Puṣpa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Vipra (addressed)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A radiant authority (here connected to Sūrya in nearby verses) admonishes a brāhmaṇa: tamasic-minded acts become futile. The scene is instructional—raised hand in teaching gesture, listener attentive, sacred setting in the background.

Characters & Entities

• Sūrya
• Puṣpa (brāhmaṇa)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual action bears fruit only when supported by a pure, uplifted intention; tamasic motivation nullifies merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The instruction occurs within the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra-māhātmya narrative of the Nāgara Khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It warns that any ritual (including homa) becomes ineffective if performed with tamasic bhāva.