Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

दुष्टानां शासनं चापि साधूनां परिपालनम् । पाशुपाल्यं च वैश्यानां कृषिर्विज्ञानमेव च

Transliteration

duṣṭānāṃ śāsanaṃ cāpi sādhūnāṃ paripālanam | pāśupālyaṃ ca vaiśyānāṃ kṛṣirvijñānameva ca

Translation

Ferner: die Züchtigung der Bösen und der Schutz der Frommen. Für die Vaiśyas sind Viehhaltung und Pflege der Rinder, Ackerbau und praktisches Wissen wahrlich gepriesene Pflichten.

Word by Word

• दुष्टानाम्: of the wicked
• दुष्टानाम्: Shashthi-sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुष्ट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• शासनम्: punishment/discipline
• शासनम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शास् (धातु) + ल्युट् (कृदन्त)
• Form: भाववाचक कृदन्त (verbal noun), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय

• अपि: also
• अपि: Nipata
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अप्यर्थ (also)

• साधूनाम्: of the good (people)
• साधूनाम्: Shashthi-sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: साधु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• परिपालनम्: protection
• परिपालनम्: Samuccita-karta (Coordinated subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परि + पाल् (धातु) + ल्युट् (कृदन्त)
• Form: भाववाचक कृदन्त (verbal noun), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• पाशुपाल्यम्: cattle-herding
• पाशुपाल्यम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाशु (प्रातिपदिक) + पाल्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—पशूनां पाल्यम्/पालनम् (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय

• वैश्यानाम्: of Vaiśyas
• वैश्यानाम्: Shashthi-sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैश्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• कृषिः: agriculture
• कृषिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृषि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• विज्ञानम्: knowledge/skill
• विज्ञानम्: Samuccita-karta (Coordinated subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वि + ज्ञा (धातु) + ल्युट् (कृदन्त)
• Form: भाववाचक कृदन्त (verbal noun), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• एव: indeed
• एव: Nipata
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय

Speaker

Śrī Kṛṣṇa

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: vatsa (disciple/son-figure; unspecified in the given excerpt)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Two-part tableau: (1) a righteous ruler/guardian restraining a wrongdoer while sheltering sādhus; (2) Vaiśyas tending cows, ploughing fields, weighing goods—prosperity aligned with dharma.

Characters & Entities

• Śrī Kṛṣṇa
• Vaiśya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is sustained by social responsibility: governance restrains wrongdoing and protects the good, while productive livelihoods support the world.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No holy site is referenced; it is an instruction on duties (svadharma).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse outlines ethical and occupational duties rather than a vrata or tīrtha-ritual.