Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 117

Devanagari script

विवादे पृच्छमानानां पक्षपातेन जल्पताम् । भयाद्वा यदि वा लोभाद्द्वेषाद्वा कामतोऽपि वा

Transliteration

vivāde pṛcchamānānāṃ pakṣapātena jalpatām | bhayādvā yadi vā lobhāddveṣādvā kāmato'pi vā

Translation

In Streitfällen — jene, die man zum Richten befragt, die aber parteiisch reden: aus Furcht, aus Gier, aus Hass oder sogar aus Begierde —

Word by Word

• विवादे: in a dispute
• विवादे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विवाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• पृच्छमानानाम्: of those who are asking (questions)
• पृच्छमानानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रच्छ् (धातु) + शानच् (प्रत्यय)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (present participle/शानच्), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (Plural)

• पक्षपातेन: with partiality/bias
• पक्षपातेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पक्षपात (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन

• जल्पताम्: of those who speak (argue)
• जल्पताम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल्प् (धातु) + शतृ (प्रत्यय)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (present participle/शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (Plural)

• भयात्: from fear / out of fear
• भयात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Alternative marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्प-बोधक अव्यय (disjunctive particle)

• यदि: if
• यदि: Sambandha (Condition marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्त-निर्देशक अव्यय

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Alternative marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्प-बोधक अव्यय

• लोभात्: from greed
• लोभात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन

• द्वेषात्: from hatred
• द्वेषात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Alternative marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्प-बोधक अव्यय

• कामतः: out of desire
• कामतः: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: काम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (ablatival adverb: 'from desire/for pleasure')

• अपि: even/also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपेक्षा-बोधक अव्यय (also/even)

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Alternative marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्प-बोधक अव्यय

Speaker

Unspecified narrator within Nāgara-khaṇḍa Tīrtha-māhātmya (deductively: Sūta relating a tale/dialogue)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A council-like scene overlays the serpent episode: figures in dispute look to a judge; shadowy personifications of fear, greed, hatred, and desire tug at the speaker’s mind, while the dharmic voice remains steady.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma demands impartial truthfulness; biased speech in judgment—driven by fear, greed, hatred, or desire—creates serious moral fault.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This line is part of a broader tīrtha narrative but does not itself name a location.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual instruction appears; it is ethical teaching preparing the next verse’s conclusion.