Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 87

Devanagari script

तावल्लज्जा भयं तावत्स्वाचारस्तावदेव हि । ज्ञानमौदार्यमैश्वर्यं तावदेव हि भासते । यावन्मत्तांगनापाशैः पातितो नैव बन्धनैः

Transliteration

tāvallajjā bhayaṃ tāvatsvācārastāvadeva hi | jñānamaudāryamaiśvaryaṃ tāvadeva hi bhāsate | yāvanmattāṃganāpāśaiḥ pātito naiva bandhanaiḥ

Translation

羞惭与对罪过的畏惧，只能维持到那时；正行亦只维持到那时。知识、慷慨与福裕也只在那时发光——只要尚未被那放纵如醉的女子所布下的罗网与缚索牵坠，堕入束缚之中。

Word by Word

• tāvat: so long
• tāvat: Sambandha (Correlative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tāvat (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम-विशेषण)
• Form: अव्ययवत्-प्रयोगः; नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा एकवचनरूपम् (correlative)

• lajjā: modesty, shame
• lajjā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: lajjā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• bhayam: fear
• bhayam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• tāvat: so long
• tāvat: Sambandha (Correlative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tāvat (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम-विशेषण)
• Form: अव्ययवत्-प्रयोगः; नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा एकवचनरूपम्

• svācāraḥ: good conduct
• svācāraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: su (उपसर्ग/उपपद) + ācāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (su-ācāraḥ = 'good conduct')

• tāvat: so long
• tāvat: Sambandha (Correlative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tāvat (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम-विशेषण)
• Form: अव्ययवत्-प्रयोगः; नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा एकवचनरूपम्

• eva: indeed, only
• eva: Avadhāraṇa (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (निपात/अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-निपातः (emphatic particle)

• hi: indeed, for
• hi: Hetu/Avadhāraṇa (Reason/Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (निपात/अव्यय)
• Form: हेतु/निश्चयार्थ-निपातः (for/indeed)

• jñānam: knowledge
• jñānam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jñāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• audāryam: generosity, magnanimity
• audāryam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: audārya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• aiśvaryam: lordship, power, prosperity
• aiśvaryam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aiśvarya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• tāvat: so long
• tāvat: Sambandha (Correlative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tāvat (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम-विशेषण)
• Form: अव्ययवत्-प्रयोगः; नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा एकवचनरूपम्

• eva: indeed
• eva: Avadhāraṇa (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (निपात/अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-निपातः

• hi: indeed
• hi: Hetu/Avadhāraṇa
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (निपात/अव्यय)
• Form: निपातः (indeed/for)

• bhāsate: shines, appears
• bhāsate: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √bhās (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present/वर्तमान), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• yāvat: as long as
• yāvat: Sambandha (Correlative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: yāvat (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम-विशेषण)
• Form: अव्ययवत्-प्रयोगः; नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा एकवचनरूपम् (correlative: 'as long as')

• mattāṅganā-pāśaiḥ: by the nooses of a maddened/impassioned woman
• mattāṅganā-pāśaiḥ: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: matta (प्रातिपदिक) + aṅganā (प्रातिपदिक) + pāśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (mattāṅganāyāḥ pāśāḥ = 'nooses/ropes of an intoxicated/impassioned woman')

• pātitaḥ: fallen / cast down
• pātitaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √pat (धातु) + ita (क्त/कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्मणि-भावः ('having been made to fall')

• na: not
• na: Pratiṣedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (निपात/अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपातः

• eva: at all (with na)
• eva: Avadhāraṇa (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (निपात/अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-निपातः; na+eva = 'not at all'

• bandhanaiḥ: by bonds, fetters
• bandhanaiḥ: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bandhana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन

Speaker

Narrator (contextual; speaker not explicit in this verse)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dharmāraṇyaka

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: An allegorical fall: a person initially radiant with learning and prosperity is gradually bound by rope-like snares cast from a glamorous, intoxicated figure; virtues (modesty, fear, right conduct) appear as fading lamps.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Delusion and uncontrolled desire destroy modesty, right conduct, and even the outward signs of wisdom and prosperity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named; the verse functions as general dharma-nīti within the Dharmāraṇya context.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a behavioral warning emphasizing self-control and avoidance of binding temptations.