Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

दशसूनासमश्चक्री दशचक्रिसमो ध्वजः । दशध्वजसमा वेश्या दशवेश्यासमो नृपः

Transliteration

daśasūnāsamaścakrī daśacakrisamo dhvajaḥ | daśadhvajasamā veśyā daśaveśyāsamo nṛpaḥ

Translation

„Wer den Diskus trägt (cakrī), ist an Unheil zehn Schlachthäusern gleich; ein Bannerträger ist zehn solchen cakrī gleich; eine Kurtisane ist zehn Bannerträgern gleich; und ein König ist zehn Kurtisanen gleich.“

Word by Word

• दशसूनासमः: equal to ten slaughter-houses
• दशसूनासमः: Karta (Predicate adjective/समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दश (संख्या/प्रातिपदिक) + सूना (प्रातिपदिक) + सम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (दशसूनाभिः समः = equal to ten slaughter-houses)

• चक्रि: one who bears the discus; (a cakrī)
• चक्रि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चक्रिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• दशचक्रिसमः: equal to ten cakrīs
• दशचक्रिसमः: Karta (Predicate adjective/समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दश (संख्या/प्रातिपदिक) + चक्रिन् (प्रातिपदिक) + सम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (दशचक्रिभिः समः)

• ध्वजः: a banner/standard
• ध्वजः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ध्वज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• दशध्वजसमा: equal to ten banners
• दशध्वजसमा: Karta (Predicate adjective/समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दश (संख्या/प्रातिपदिक) + ध्वज (प्रातिपदिक) + सम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (दशध्वजैः समा)

• वेश्या: a courtesan/prostitute
• वेश्या: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेश्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• दशवेश्यसमः: equal to ten courtesans
• दशवेश्यसमः: Karta (Predicate adjective/समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दश (संख्या/प्रातिपदिक) + वेश्या (प्रातिपदिक) + सम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (दशवेश्याभिः समः)

• नृपः: a king
• नृपः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

Speaker

Ascetic brāhmaṇas (addressing Rāma; framed by Brahmā’s narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dharmāraṇya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: (implied) sages/assembly; narrative audience

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A didactic tableau: symbolic figures—weapon-bearer with discus, standard-bearer, courtesan, and king—arranged in ascending ‘danger’ tiers, while sages explain the moral calculus to Rāma.

Characters & Entities

• Nṛpa (king)
• Veśyā
• Dhvaja
• Cakrī
• Sūnā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Association with systems of violence and coercive power is portrayed as spiritually hazardous, hence caution in dependence on them.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None is named; the verse functions as a dharma-warning within the chapter’s discussion on gifts and purity.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicit restraint: avoid entanglement with harmful professions and especially avoid reliance on royal channels when seeking purity.