Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 35

Devanagari script

तस्माद्देयं यथाशक्त्या न स्तेयं कनकं बुधैः । इच्छद्भिः परमं सौख्यं स्वशरीरस्य शाश्वतम्

Transliteration

tasmāddeyaṃ yathāśaktyā na steyaṃ kanakaṃ budhaiḥ | icchadbhiḥ paramaṃ saukhyaṃ svaśarīrasya śāśvatam

Translation

پس اپنی استطاعت کے مطابق دان کرنا چاہیے؛ داناؤں کو سونا چوری نہیں کرنا چاہیے۔ جو اپنے جسم کے لیے اعلیٰ ترین بھلائی اور دائمی آسودگی چاہتے ہیں، وہ اسی طرح عمل کریں۔

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: therefore; from that
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (तस्मात्-प्रयोगः), अपादानार्थे/हेतौ (ablatival sense: 'therefore/from that')

• देयम्: to be given; should be given
• देयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दा (धातु) + यत् (कृत्-प्रत्यय) → देय (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कृदन्त (भाव्य/कर्तव्य-अर्थे), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन (impersonal: 'it should be given')

• यथा-शक्त्या: according to one’s ability
• यथा-शक्त्या: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय) + शक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; 'यथा' उपपदेन सह, शक्ति-शब्दः तृतीया एकवचन (instrumental adverbial: 'according to ability')

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (निषेध-अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negation particle)

• स्तेयम्: theft; stealing
• स्तेयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्तेय (प्रातिपदिक; 'theft')
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन; निषेध-वाक्ये विधेय/निषेध्य-भावः ('stealing' as prohibited act)

• कनकम्: gold
• कनकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कनक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचन

• बुधैः: by the wise (people)
• बुधैः: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बुध (प्रातिपदिक; 'wise')
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया बहुवचन (instrumental: 'by the wise')

• इच्छद्भिः: by those who desire
• इच्छद्भिः: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इष् (धातु) → इच्छत् (वर्तमान-कृदन्त/शतृ)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया बहुवचन (instrumental: 'by those desiring')

• परमम्: supreme; highest
• परमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचन; 'सौख्यम्' विशेषणम्

• सौख्यम्: happiness; comfort
• सौख्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सौख्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचन

• स्व-शरीरस्य: of one’s own body
• स्व-शरीरस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + शरीर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष-समास; 'स्वस्य शरीरम्'। नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी एकवचन

• शाश्वतम्: eternal; lasting
• शाश्वतम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शाश्वत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचन; 'सौख्यम्' विशेषणम्

Speaker

Sahasrāṃśu (Sūrya, the Sun-god)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Bhāskara-traya tīrtha (implied in the surrounding narrative)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A brāhmaṇa (dvija) addressed in the narrative frame

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim-teacher instructs a seeker near a sacred precinct: one hand in teaching gesture, the other offering alms; a symbolic heap of gold kept untouched, emphasizing asteya.

Characters & Entities

• Sahasrāṃśu
• dāna (charity)
• asteya (non-stealing)
• kanaka (gold)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dāna purifies and theft destroys; ethical living sustains both spiritual merit and bodily well-being.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The teaching is embedded in a Nāgarakhaṇḍa tīrtha account that frames dharma as the true fruit of pilgrimage; the site is not named in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Give charity according to your capacity (yathāśakti-dāna) and observe non-stealing (asteya), especially regarding gold.