Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

जाग्रतां तु मनुष्याणां चौराः कुर्वंति किं खलाः । भयभीतश्चालसश्च तथा चाशुचिरेव यः

Transliteration

jāgratāṃ tu manuṣyāṇāṃ caurāḥ kurvaṃti kiṃ khalāḥ | bhayabhītaścālasaśca tathā cāśucireva yaḥ

Translation

Kahit gising ang mga tao, ano pa ang hindi magagawa ng masasamang magnanakaw? At ang taong duwag, tamad, at marumi—paano siya magkakamit ng katatagan sa landas na ito?

Word by Word

• जाग्रताम्: of the awake (people)
• जाग्रताम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जाग्रत् (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ), षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन; ‘of those who are awake’

• तु: but, indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात) — विरोध/अन्वय

• मनुष्याणाम्: of humans
• मनुष्याणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनुष्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन

• चौराः: thieves
• चौराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चौर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• कुर्वन्ति: do, commit
• कुर्वन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपद

• किम्: what?
• किम्: Sambandha (Interrogative/प्रश्न)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय-प्रयोग (प्रश्नार्थक) — ‘what?’

• खलाः: wicked ones
• खलाः: Karta (Apposition/समनाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: खल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• भयभीतः: fearful
• भयभीतः: Karta (Predicate adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भय + भीत (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः — ‘भयेन भीतः’ (afraid due to fear)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय

• आलसः: lazy
• आलसः: Karta (Predicate adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आलस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Adverbial modifier/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय

• अशुचिः: impure
• अशुचिः: Karta (Predicate adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अशुचि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (अवधारण)

• यः: who (he who)
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सम्बन्धवाचक

Speaker

Narrative voice (Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa tradition within Māheśvarakhaṇḍa)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: brāhmaṇas / Arjuna

Visual Art Cues

Scene: An allegory of a traveler-sādhaka walking a narrow path at dawn; despite open eyes, shadowy thieves lurk. Three chains labeled fear, laziness, and impurity weigh him down; a lamp of discipline lifts the path into clarity.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Fear, laziness, and inner impurity weaken dharmic resolve; spiritual progress needs alertness and steadiness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The surrounding passage points toward Stambhatīrtha within the Kaumārikākhaṇḍa’s sacred-geography narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual is stated here; it underscores inner preparedness (purity and courage) for dharmic acts and pilgrimage.