Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 74

Devanagari script

भगवन् ब्राह्मणोऽस्मीति जात्या चैव न कर्मणा । न कस्यचिन्मया दत्तं कदाचिन्नैव भोजनम् । केवलं देवविप्राणां वंचयित्वा धनं हृतम् । व्यसनेनाभिभूतेन द्यूतवेश्योद्भवेन च

Transliteration

bhagavan brāhmaṇo'smīti jātyā caiva na karmaṇā | na kasyacinmayā dattaṃ kadācinnaiva bhojanam | kevalaṃ devaviprāṇāṃ vaṃcayitvā dhanaṃ hṛtam | vyasanenābhibhūtena dyūtaveśyodbhavena ca

Translation

“ข้าแต่พระผู้เป็นเจ้า ข้าพเจ้าเป็นพราหมณ์เพียงโดยชาติกำเนิด มิใช่โดยการกระทำ ข้าพเจ้าไม่เคยให้ทานอาหารแก่ผู้ใดเลย ตรงกันข้าม ข้าพเจ้าได้ล่อลวงแม้เทวะและพราหมณ์แล้วฉกชิงทรัพย์ ถูกครอบงำด้วยอบายที่เกิดจากการพนันและคบหาหญิงคณิกา”

Word by Word

• भगवन्: O Lord
• भगवन्: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भगवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन

• ब्राह्मणः: a Brahmin
• ब्राह्मणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• अस्मि: I am
• अस्मि: Kriya (Copula/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• इति: thus
• इति: None (Marker/इति)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; इत्यादि-उद्धरणसूचक (quotative particle)

• जात्या: by birth
• जात्या: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जाति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; हेतौ/साधने (instrumental: 'by birth')

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय

• एव: only/indeed
• एव: None (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (emphasis)

• न: not
• न: None (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation)

• कर्मणा: by action/deed
• कर्मणा: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; साधन/हेतु (instrumental: 'by deeds')

• न: not
• न: None (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध

• कस्यचित्: of anyone
• कस्यचित्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; अनिश्चित-सम्बन्ध (indefinite genitive: 'of anyone')

• मया: by me
• मया: Karta (Agent in passive/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: त्रिलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन

• दत्तम्: given
• दत्तम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु) → दत्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृत् (क्त); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोगे (PPP: 'given')

• कदाचित्: ever
• कदाचित्: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कदाचित् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (adverb: 'ever/at any time')

• न: not
• न: None (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध

• एव: at all/indeed
• एव: None (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण

• भोजनम्: food/meal
• भोजनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भोजन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; (context: 'food/meal' as thing given)

• केवलम्: only
• केवलम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: केवल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् प्रयोग; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: 'only/merely')

• देवविप्राणाम्: of the godly Brahmins
• देवविप्राणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव + विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (देवानां विप्राः/देवसम्बन्धिनां विप्राणाम्); पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन

• वंचयित्वा: having deceived
• वंचयित्वा: Kriya (Non-finite/अनुबन्धक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वञ्च् (धातु) → वंचयित्वा (क्त्वान्त; णिच् causative implied)
• Form: अव्ययकृदन्त (क्त्वा); पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (gerund): 'having deceived'

• धनम्: wealth
• धनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• हृतम्: stolen
• हृतम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हृ (धातु) → हृत (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृत् (क्त); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मणि (PPP: 'stolen/taken away')

• व्यसनेन: by addiction/misfortune
• व्यसनेन: Karana (Cause/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्यसन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; कारण/हेतु (instrumental: 'due to addiction/misfortune')

• अभिभूतेन: overpowered
• अभिभूतेन: Karta (Agent qualified/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अभि + भू (धातु) → अभिभूत (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृत् (क्त); पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसक, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifies implied 'मया')

• द्यूतवेश्योद्भवेन: by that arising from gambling and prostitutes
• द्यूतवेश्योद्भवेन: Karana (Cause/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्यूत + वेश्या + उद्भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (द्यूत-वेश्या-उद्भवः = gambling-and-prostitute-originated); पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय

Speaker

Penitent devotee/confessor (name not given in this excerpt)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Durvāsā / Hara (addressed as Bhagavan)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A remorseful man addresses the Lord/sage: he admits being brāhmaṇa only by birth, never giving food, and having stolen wealth by deception, driven by gambling and courtesan-company; his posture is bowed, hands folded, face strained with shame and hope.

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇa
• Hara (Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Varṇa by birth is hollow without dharmic conduct; confession and repentance are the doorway to transformation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The confession occurs within Nāgarakhaṇḍa’s Tīrthamāhātmya narrative context; this verse does not specify the tīrtha by name.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It implicitly highlights the neglected duty of dāna/annadāna (giving food), setting up a prāyaścitta-oriented reform.