Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 64

Devanagari script

शंख उवाच । यद्येवं चौर्यदोषोऽस्ति मम तात महत्तरः । निग्रहं कुरु मे शीघ्रं येन न स्यात्तपःक्षयः

Transliteration

śaṃkha uvāca | yadyevaṃ cauryadoṣo'sti mama tāta mahattaraḥ | nigrahaṃ kuru me śīghraṃ yena na syāttapaḥkṣayaḥ

Translation

สังขะกล่าวว่า: ข้าแต่บิดา หากความผิดฐานลักขโมยในตัวข้านั้นมีอยู่จริงและใหญ่หลวงนัก ขอท่านจงลงโทษข้าโดยเร็วเถิด เพื่อที่ตบะของข้าจะได้ไม่สูญเปล่า

Word by Word

• शंखः: Śaṅkha
• शंखः: Karta (Speaker/subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शंख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — वक्ता/कर्ता

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन — 'said'

• यदि: if
• यदि: Sambandha (Condition)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; शर्तार्थक (conditional particle: if)

• एवम्: thus/so
• एवम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (adverb: thus/so)

• चौर्यदोषः: the fault of theft
• चौर्यदोषः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चौर्य + दोष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (चौर्यस्य दोषः) — 'fault of theft'

• अस्ति: exists/is
• अस्ति: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन — 'is/exists'

• मम: my
• मम: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन — 'my'

• तात: dear father/sir
• तात: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तात (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन — संबोधन

• महत्तरः: greater
• महत्तरः: Karta (Predicate of subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तरप्-प्रत्यय (comparative) — 'greater' (predicate of दोषः)

• निग्रहम्: punishment/restraint
• निग्रहम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निग्रह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — कर्म

• कुरु: do/inflict
• कुरु: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), परस्मैपद, मध्यम-पुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन — 'do/inflict'

• मे: for me
• मे: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (4th/Dative), एकवचन — 'for me/to me' (enclitic)

• शीघ्रम्: quickly
• शीघ्रम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: शीघ्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव/क्रियाविशेषणरूपेण अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः; क्रियाविशेषण (quickly)

• येन: by which/so that
• येन: Karana (Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — 'by which/so that' (instrumental of means)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध-निपात

• स्यात्: may be/should occur
• स्यात्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्-लकार (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन — 'may be/should be'

• तपःक्षयः: loss of austerity (merit)
• तपःक्षयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् + क्षय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (तपसः क्षयः) — 'loss of austerity/merit'

Speaker

Śaṃkha

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: (contextual) frame listener(s); within episode, Śaṃkha speaks to his father

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śaṃkha, anxious yet resolute, addresses his father with folded hands; his posture shows urgency and humility, requesting immediate restraint to save his austerity.

Characters & Entities

• Śaṃkha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True repentance is proactive: one asks for correction so that spiritual merit (tapas) is protected from the corrosion of sin.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not named in this verse; it sets up the later movement toward Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra for purification and spiritual fulfillment.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Immediate nigraha (disciplinary correction) as a form of prāyaścitta is requested.