Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 19

Devanagari script

देवतासु गुरौ पित्रोस्तथा राजकुलेषु च । कौटिल्यमाचरन्मोहात्सद्यो नश्यति सान्वयः

Transliteration

devatāsu gurau pitrostathā rājakuleṣu ca | kauṭilyamācaranmohātsadyo naśyati sānvayaḥ

Translation

若人因迷妄而对诸天、师长、父母，或在王家之中行诡诈曲行，其家族与名位便会迅速败亡。

Word by Word

• devatāsu: among/with regard to the deities
• devatāsu: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: devatā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (locative), बहुवचन

• gurau: towards the teacher
• gurau: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: guru (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• pitroḥ: towards (one’s) parents
• pitroḥ: Adhikarana (Domain/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pitṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी/षष्ठी (loc/gen), द्विवचन; अत्र ‘पित्रोः’ = ‘in/with regard to (one’s) two parents’

• tathā: likewise
• tathā: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चय/तुल्यार्थक (likewise/and also)

• rāja-kuleṣu: in royal families/courts
• rāja-kuleṣu: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājan (प्रातिपदिक) + kula (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: तत्पुरुष (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: राज्ञां कुलेषु); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, बहुवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction: and)

• kauṭilyam: crookedness, deceit
• kauṭilyam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kauṭilya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• ācaran: practising
• ācaran: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: car (धातु) उपसर्ग: ā-
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमान कृदन्त (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; अर्थः—practising

• mohāt: from delusion
• mohāt: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: moha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (ablative), एकवचन

• sadyaḥ: immediately
• sadyaḥ: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sadyaḥ (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय, कालवाचक (immediately)

• naśyati: perishes
• naśyati: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: naś (धातु)
• Form: लट् लकार, परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• sa-anvayaḥ: (one) with his lineage/family
• sa-anvayaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sa (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + anvaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: कर्मधारय (सह-अन्वयः = with lineage/with family); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

Dvijakumārakau (contextual continuation of their reply)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Didactic moment: the youths (or narrator) articulate a moral law—deceit against deity, guru, parents, or king destroys lineage—shown as symbolic vignettes around a central figure of Dharma holding a staff/scale.

Characters & Entities

• Devatā
• Guru
• Pitarau (parents)
• Rājakula (royal household)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Deceit toward sacred authorities (deities, guru, parents, and king) destroys merit, reputation, and family continuity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned; the verse is a dharma-warning.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it prescribes ethical restraint (avoidance of crooked conduct).