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

噢女神，吾我之执（ahaṃkāra）确能施与罪与福。然而当真实之理已被证知、吉祥之果已被明了时，它应当被正确地“系合”与调御，决不可另作他用。

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).