Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 69

Devanagari script

धर्मं करोतु दंभेन राजानं चोपसेवताम् । मधुमांसं सदाश्नातु बिसस्तैन्यं करोति यः

Transliteration

dharmaṃ karotu daṃbhena rājānaṃ copasevatām | madhumāṃsaṃ sadāśnātu bisastainyaṃ karoti yaḥ

Translation

ผู้ใดลักขโมยก้านบัว ผู้นั้นพึงประพฤติ ‘ธรรม’ ด้วยความเสแสร้ง รับใช้พระราชาเพื่อผลประโยชน์ และกินน้ำผึ้งกับเนื้อเป็นนิตย์

Word by Word

• धर्मम्: dharma, righteousness
• धर्मम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन — Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• करोतु: let (him) do
• करोतु: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (आज्ञार्थ), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन — Imperative, 3rd person, Singular

• दंभेन: with hypocrisy, by deceit
• दंभेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दंभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन — Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• राजानम्: the king
• राजानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन — Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-बोधक अव्यय — conjunction

• उपसेवताम्: let them serve/attend
• उपसेवताम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप-सेव् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार, प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन — Imperative, 3rd person, Plural

• मधुमांसम्: honey and meat
• मधुमांसम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मधु + मांस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन — Neuter, Accusative, Singular; द्वन्द्व-समास (मधु च मांसं च)

• सदा: always
• सदा: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय — adverb of time

• अश्नातु: let (him) eat
• अश्नातु: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अश् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन — Imperative, 3rd person, Singular

• बिसस्तैन्यम्: theft of lotus-stalks
• बिसस्तैन्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बिस + स्तैन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन — Neuter, Accusative, Singular; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (बिसस्य स्तैन्यम्)

• करोति: does, commits
• करोति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन — Present, 3rd person, Singular

• यः: who (he who)
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (कर्ता), एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Singular; सम्बन्धक-सर्वनाम

Speaker

Kaśyapa (continuing the oath/curse sequence)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A lotus-pond near a shrine; a man secretly cutting lotus-stalks while wearing a pious mark; in the background, he flatters a king for reward and feasts on rich fare—contrasted with a serene ascetic by the water.

Characters & Entities

• Kaśyapa
• rājā (king)
• daṃbha (hypocrisy)
• madhu (honey)
• māṃsa (meat)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Adharma can masquerade as dharma; theft is shown to breed hypocrisy and worldly compromise.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

It is within Nāgara Khaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya; the excerpt does not name the location.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a moral pronouncement about karmic/social degradation following theft.