Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

दंडस्तत्राभवद्वास्तौ गृहरोधोऽक्षदेवने । एको दोषाकरश्चंद्रः प्रियदोषाश्च कौशिकाः

Transliteration

daṃḍastatrābhavadvāstau gṛharodho'kṣadevane | eko doṣākaraścaṃdraḥ priyadoṣāśca kauśikāḥ

Translation

ที่นั่น ‘โทษ’ มีอยู่เพียงในความหมายเช่นนี้: ‘ไม้เท้า’ มีอยู่ในเรือนเพียงเป็นสิ่งของ; ‘กักอยู่ในบ้าน’ มีเพียงในการเล่นลูกเต๋า; ผู้ก่อราตรีมีเพียงพระจันทร์; และนกเค้าแมวเท่านั้นที่รักราตรี

Word by Word

• daṇḍaḥ: punishment / staff
• daṇḍaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: daṇḍa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• abhavat: was / occurred
• abhavat: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/Past), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• vāstau: in the house/site
• vāstau: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vāstu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th case), एकवचन (वास्तौ = वास्तुनि)

• gṛha-rodhaḥ: confinement in the house / house-arrest
• gṛha-rodhaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gṛha (प्रातिपदिक) + rodha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: 'गृहस्य रोधः'

• akṣa-devane: in gambling
• akṣa-devane: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: akṣa (प्रातिपदिक) + devana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः: 'अक्षैः (dyūta) देवनम्' = gambling

• ekaḥ: one
• ekaḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: eka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (candramāḥ)

• doṣa-ākaraḥ: source of faults
• doṣa-ākaraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: doṣa (प्रातिपदिक) + ākara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः: 'दोषाणाम् आकारः/आकरः' (mine/source of faults)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय

• candraḥ: the Moon
• candraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: candra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• priya-doṣāḥ: fond of faults
• priya-doṣāḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: priya (प्रातिपदिक) + doṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (kauśikāḥ); कर्मधारयः: 'प्रियाः दोषाः येषाम्' (fault-loving)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय

• kauśikāḥ: owls (kauśikas)
• kauśikāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kauśika (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa/Sūta narrator)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A playful allegorical tableau: a staff resting harmlessly in a house; people playing dice as mere sport without ruin; the moon as the only ‘night-maker’; owls perched peacefully, ‘loving the night’ without omen.

Characters & Entities

• Candra (Moon)
• Kauśikāḥ (Owls)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In a truly dharmic realm, ‘fault’ is reduced to harmless wordplay—evil is absent and even language reflects peace.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not a site directly; it supports the tīrtha narrative by highlighting the extraordinary righteousness of Hariścandra connected to the region.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse uses poetic devices to depict social order.