Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 27

Devanagari script

बहुदंशमयान्देशान्नयंति बहुकर्दमान् । वाहसंपीडिता धुर्याः सीदंत्यविधिना परे

Transliteration

bahudaṃśamayāndeśānnayaṃti bahukardamān | vāhasaṃpīḍitā dhuryāḥ sīdaṃtyavidhinā pare

Translation

Man treibt sie durch Länder voller stechender Plagegeister und durch tiefen Schlamm. Von der Last zerdrückt, brechen die Zugtiere zusammen—während andere dies ohne rechte Ordnung und ohne Erbarmen tun.

Word by Word

• bahu-daṃśa-mayān: full of many bites/stings
• bahu-daṃśa-mayān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bahu (प्रातिपदिक) + daṃśa (प्रातिपदिक) + maya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन; समासः—बहवः दंशाः येषु/येन (many bites/stings) तैः मयाः (made of/filled with)

• deśān: regions, places
• deśān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

• nayanti: they lead, take
• nayanti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √nī (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपदी

• bahu-kardamān: very muddy
• bahu-kardamān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bahu (प्रातिपदिक) + kardama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन; समासः—बहवः कर्दमाः येषु (muddy with much mire)

• vāha-saṃpīḍitāḥ: pressed down by the burden
• vāha-saṃpīḍitāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vāha (प्रातिपदिक) + saṃ-√pīḍ (धातु) + kta → saṃpīḍita (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; कृदन्त—क्त (past passive participle); समासः—वाहेन संपीडिताः (pressed by the load/vehicle)

• dhuryāḥ: draft animals
• dhuryāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dhurya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; (धुरि योज्याः—yoked to the yoke; draft-animals)

• sīdanti: sink, collapse, become exhausted
• sīdanti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √sad (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपदी

• avidhinā: by improper method
• avidhinā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: a-vidhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; नञ्-समासपूर्वक (negated: improper method)

• pare: others
• pare: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; (अन्ये—others)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa Sūta (deduced; Māheśvara-khaṇḍa narration to sages)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Draught animals struggle through mud and insect-ridden marsh; some collapse under loads while indifferent drivers push on; a compassionate ascetic intervenes or laments.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Improper, compassionless labor that crushes living beings is adharma and generates negative karma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is referenced; the focus is ethical conduct.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the implied rule is ‘vidhi’—right, humane method aligned with Dharma.