Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 97

Devanagari script

पीडयिष्यंति निर्दोषान्वित्तलोभादसंशयम् । वधार्हमपि संप्राप्य वित्तलोभान्मलिम्लुचम्

Transliteration

pīḍayiṣyaṃti nirdoṣānvittalobhādasaṃśayam | vadhārhamapi saṃprāpya vittalobhānmalimlucam

Translation

Sans aucun doute, par avidité de richesses ils tourmenteront les innocents. Et même lorsqu’ils auront saisi quelqu’un digne de châtiment, par la même cupidité ils relâcheront le criminel.

Word by Word

• पीडयिष्यन्ति: will oppress
• पीडयिष्यन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पीड् (धातु) + णिच् (causative)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future/लृट्), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• निर्दोषान्: the innocent (people)
• निर्दोषान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निर्दोष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; कर्मपद

• वित्तलोभात्: from greed for wealth
• वित्तलोभात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वित्त + लोभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन; हेत्वर्थ (ablative of cause)

• असंशयम्: undoubtedly
• असंशयम्: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: असंशयम् (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण अव्यय (adverb)

• वधार्हम्: deserving death
• वधार्हम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वध + अर्ह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (कर्मणि)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle)

• संप्राप्य: having obtained/encountered
• संप्राप्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम् + प्र + आप् (धातु) + ल्यप् (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त/ल्यबन्त अव्यय (absolutive/gerund)

• वित्तलोभात्: due to greed for wealth
• वित्तलोभात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वित्त + लोभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी, एकवचन; हेत्वर्थ

• मलिम्लुचम्: a robber/outcaste (malimluca)
• मलिम्लुचम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मलिम्लुच (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मपद

Speaker

Bṛhaspati

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Suraśreṣṭha (best among the gods)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A courtroom-like royal hall: an innocent petitioner being dragged, while a known criminal is discreetly released after offering wealth; a sage witnesses, condemning greed.

Characters & Entities

• Bṛhaspati
• malimluca (criminal/robber)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Greed corrupts justice: dharma demands protection of the innocent and impartial punishment of wrongdoing.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tirtha is named in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it describes adharma in governance and law.