Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 72

Devanagari script

हीनवर्णात्मवृत्तिश्च वैद्यो धर्मध्वजी च यः । यश्च शास्त्रमतिक्रम्य स्वेच्छयैवाहरेत्करम्

Transliteration

hīnavarṇātmavṛttiśca vaidyo dharmadhvajī ca yaḥ | yaśca śāstramatikramya svecchayaivāharetkaram

Translation

ಕೆಳವರ್ಗದ ವೃತ್ತಿಯಿಂದ ಬದುಕುವವನು; ಧರ್ಮಸಂಯಮವಿಲ್ಲದ ವೈದ್ಯ; ಧರ್ಮವನ್ನು ಧ್ವಜವನ್ನಾಗಿ ಮಾಡಿ ನಟಿಸುವ ಕಪಟಿ; ಮತ್ತು ಶಾಸ್ತ್ರಗಳನ್ನು ಮೀರಿ ತನ್ನ ಇಚ್ಛೆಯಂತೆ ತೆರಿಗೆ ವಸೂಲಿಸುವವನು—ಇವರು ಇಲ್ಲಿ ಧರ್ಮಮರ್ಯಾದಾಭಂಗಿಗಳೆಂದು ನಿಂದಿಸಲ್ಪಟ್ಟಿದ್ದಾರೆ.

Word by Word

• hīnavarṇātmavṛttiḥ: one whose conduct is of a low caste/nature
• hīnavarṇātmavṛttiḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hīna + varṇa + ātman + vṛtti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); बहुपद-तत्पुरुषसमास (determinative)

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

• vaidyaḥ: physician
• vaidyaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vaidya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• dharmadhvajī: one who parades dharma (hypocrite)
• dharmadhvajī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dharma + dhvaja + in (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); तत्पुरुष (determinative) ‘धर्मध्वजः अस्य अस्ति’ (one who bears the banner of dharma; hypocrite)

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

• yaḥ: who
• yaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular), सम्बन्धबोधक सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• yaḥ: and who
• yaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular), सम्बन्धबोधक सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

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

• śāstram: scriptural rule, treatise
• śāstram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śāstra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• atikramya: having transgressed
• atikramya: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial participle/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ati + √kram (क्रम् धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive/Gerund) उपसर्गपूर्वक; ‘अतिक्रम्य’ = having transgressed

• svecchayā: by one’s own will
• svecchayā: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sva + icchā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), तृतीया (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular); तत्पुरुष ‘स्वस्य इच्छा’

• eva: indeed, just
• eva: Avadhāraṇa (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• āharet: should take/collect
• āharet: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā + √hṛ (हृ धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• karam: tax, levy
• karam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta), deduced from Māheśvara-khaṇḍa narrative convention

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A hypocritical ascetic-like figure with religious banner taking bribes; a physician ignoring dharma; a tax-collector seizing goods without warrant; a śāstra manuscript shown as the violated standard.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Outward displays of piety without righteousness are condemned, and rulers must act within śāstric limits—especially in taxation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned; this is an ethical/governance teaching.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse addresses śāstra-guided conduct and just taxation rather than ritual practice.