Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 51

Devanagari script

ऋणानामप्रदानं च मिथ्याघृद्ध्युपजीवनम् । निंदितानां धनादानं साद्वीकन्योक्तिदूषणम्

Transliteration

ṛṇānāmapradānaṃ ca mithyāghṛddhyupajīvanam | niṃditānāṃ dhanādānaṃ sādvīkanyoktidūṣaṇam

Translation

Ne pas acquitter ses dettes, gagner sa vie par le mensonge et l’avidité, donner des richesses aux réprouvés (aux méchants), et calomnier les paroles d’une femme vertueuse ou d’une jeune fille—tout cela est condamné comme blâmable.

Word by Word

• ṛṇānām: of debts
• ṛṇānām: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ṛṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठीविभक्ति (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• apradānam: non-giving, non-payment
• apradānam: Karma/Viṣaya (Object/विषय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: a- + pradāna (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक; √dā (धातु) + pra + ल्युट्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; नकारार्थक (negated)

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Conjunctive/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• mithyā: falsely
• mithyā: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: mithyā (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• ghṛddhi: greed
• ghṛddhi: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ghṛddhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; (समासपूर्वपद)

• upajīvanam: living by, livelihood
• upajīvanam: Karma/Viṣaya (Object/विषय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: upajīvana (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक; √jīv (धातु) + upa + ल्युट्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• niṃditānām: of the condemned/low (persons)
• niṃditānām: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: niṃdita (कृदन्त; √nind (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठीविभक्ति (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; विशेषणरूपेण

• dhana: wealth, money
• dhana: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dhana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, (समासपूर्वपद)

• ādānam: taking of money
• ādānam: Karma/Viṣaya (Object/विषय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ādāna (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक; √dā (धातु) + ā + ल्युट्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; धनस्य आदानम् (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• sādvī: a virtuous woman
• sādvī: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sādhvī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, (समासपूर्वपद)

• kanyā: maiden, girl
• kanyā: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kanyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, (समासपूर्वपद)

• ukti: speech, statement
• ukti: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ukti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, (समासपूर्वपद)

• dūṣaṇam: defamation/tainting (of the speech of a virtuous maiden)
• dūṣaṇam: Karma/Viṣaya (Object/विषय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dūṣaṇa (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक; √dūṣ (धातु) + ल्युट्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; साद्वीकन्योक्तेः दूषणम् (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष; बहुपदसमास)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages (deduced from Māheśvara Khaṇḍa context)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A didactic scene: a pilgrim at a Śaiva shrine is instructed by a sage/ācārya; in the background, symbolic vignettes show debt-ledgers being settled, a merchant rejecting deceit, a donor turning away from wicked recipients, and a sādhvī protected from slander.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Righteous life rests on honesty, responsibility (repaying debts), wise charity, and restraint from slander.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No holy site is specified; the emphasis is on ethical purity that supports all sacred undertakings.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite; it touches on dāna (charity) by warning against funding the nindita (blameworthy).