Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 33

Devanagari script

अहंकारो यथा देवि पापपुण्यप्रदायकः । ज्ञाते तत्त्वे शुभफले कृतः संधाय नान्यथा

Transliteration

ahaṃkāro yathā devi pāpapuṇyapradāyakaḥ | jñāte tattve śubhaphale kṛtaḥ saṃdhāya nānyathā

Translation

Ôi Nữ Thần, ngã chấp (ahaṃkāra) trở thành kẻ ban phát tội và phước. Nhưng khi chân lý được biết và quả lành được thấu rõ, nó phải được kết nối và điều phục cho đúng—không theo cách nào khác.

Word by Word

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Sambandha (Relation in compound/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहम् (सर्वनाम)
• Form: सर्वनाम, प्रथमा, एकवचन (pronoun; nominative singular)

• कारः: ego-sense
• कारः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (ahaṃ-kāraḥ: 'I-maker', ego-principle)

• यथा: as; just as
• यथा: Upamana (Comparison marker/उपमान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमान/प्रकार (indeclinable; as/according as)

• देवि: O goddess
• देवि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन (feminine; vocative singular)

• पाप: of sin
• पाप: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन (neuter; genitive singular)

• पुण्य: of merit
• पुण्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन (neuter; genitive singular)

• प्रदायकः: bestowing (sin and merit)
• प्रदायकः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रदायक (कृदन्त; प्र- + √दा (धातु) + ण्वुल्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; द्वन्द्वपूर्वपद-समास (pāpa-puṇya) + तत्पुरुष (…-pradāyakaḥ: giver of sin and merit)

• ज्ञाते: when (it is) known
• ज्ञाते: Adhikarana (Locative absolute/सति-सप्तमी)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ज्ञात (कृदन्त; √ज्ञा (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; सति-सप्तमी (locative absolute: 'when known')

• तत्त्वे: in the truth/principle
• तत्त्वे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तत्त्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन (neuter; locative singular)

• शुभ: auspicious
• शुभ: Sambandha (Relation in compound/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; पूर्वपद (as first member in compound)

• फले: in the result
• फले: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; कर्मधारय (śubha-phale: 'in auspicious result')

• कृतः: is made/constituted
• कृतः: Karta (Predicate nominal/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृत (कृदन्त; √कृ (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (masculine; nominative singular; made/done)

• संधाय: having combined; by combining
• संधाय: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: संधाय (कृदन्त; सम्- + √धा (धातु) + ल्यप्)
• Form: क्त्वान्त/ल्यपन्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive: 'having joined/combined')

• न: not
• न: Nishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय (negation particle)

• अन्यथा: otherwise
• अन्यथा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अन्यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (indeclinable adverb: otherwise)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; vocative ‘devi’ suggests instruction framed as divine dialogue)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī (addressed)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A Devī-facing teacher speaks to a seated sādhaka; a small figure labeled ‘ahaṃkāra’ stands at a crossroads holding two garlands—one dark (pāpa) and one bright (puṇya)—then is shown being yoked to a chariot of dharma heading toward a radiant truth-symbol.

Characters & Entities

• Devī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ego drives karma; with right knowledge it must be disciplined and aligned toward auspicious ends, not allowed to wander.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is specified; the verse is a doctrinal teaching supporting the purifying aim of tīrtha-māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual; the prescription is inner: know tattva and harness ahaṃkāra toward śubha (good).