Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 95

Devanagari script

अन्यायोपार्जितैर्द्रव्यैः श्राद्धं यत्क्रियते नरैः । तृप्यंति तेन चण्डालपुल्कसादिषु योनिषु

Transliteration

anyāyopārjitairdravyaiḥ śrāddhaṃ yatkriyate naraiḥ | tṛpyaṃti tena caṇḍālapulkasādiṣu yoniṣu

Translation

Wenn Menschen das Śrāddha mit unrechtmäßig erworbenem Gut vollziehen, dann werden durch diese Darbringung Wesen in Geburten wie denen der Caṇḍālas, Pulkaśas und dergleichen gesättigt.

Word by Word

• अन्यायोपार्जितैः: by unjustly acquired
• अन्यायोपार्जितैः: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्याय + उपार्जित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; उप + √अर्ज् (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त विशेषणम्; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (अन्यायेन उपार्जितैः = unjustly acquired)

• द्रव्यैः: wealth/materials
• द्रव्यैः: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्रव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्

• श्राद्धम्: śrāddha (funeral offering)
• श्राद्धम्: Karma (Object/कर्म) / Karta (grammatical subject of passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• यत्: which
• यत्: Sambandha (relative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; सम्बन्धक-सर्वनाम

• क्रियते: is performed
• क्रियते: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः (Present), प्रथम-पुरुषः, एकवचनम्; आत्मनेपदम्; कर्मणि-प्रयोगः (passive: ‘is done’)

• नरैः: by men
• नरैः: Karta (Agent in passive/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्

• तृप्यन्ति: are satisfied
• तृप्यन्ति: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √तृप् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः, प्रथम-पुरुषः, बहुवचनम्; आत्मनेपदम्

• तेन: by that/thereby
• तेन: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे/पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; सर्वनाम

• चण्डालपुल्कसादिषु: among caṇḍālas, pulkasas, etc.
• चण्डालपुल्कसादिषु: Adhikaraṇa (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चण्डाल + पुल्कस + आदि (प्रातिपदिकानि)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; समासः—द्वन्द्वः (चण्डाल-पुल्कस-आदि)

• योनिषु: in births/wombs
• योनिषु: Adhikaraṇa (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्

Speaker

Unspecified (didactic voice on ritual ethics)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A man performs śrāddha with lavish offerings, but shadowy stains cling to the coins and vessels; the intended pitṛs remain unsatisfied while distant figures in low births receive the nourishment instead—an ethical inversion.

Characters & Entities

• Śrāddha
• Caṇḍāla
• Pulkaśa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Rituals inherit the moral quality of their means; unjust earnings distort the intended spiritual beneficiaries and outcomes.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dharmāraṇya provides the moral-ritual teaching setting; the verse stresses ethical correctness rather than a named pilgrimage spot.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Śrāddha should not be performed with anyāyopārjita (unjustly acquired) substances.