Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 29

Devanagari script

सकामो निजदारेषु सक्रोधो निज शत्रुषु । सलोभः पुण्यनिचये साभ्यसूयो ह्यधर्मिषु

Transliteration

sakāmo nijadāreṣu sakrodho nija śatruṣu | salobhaḥ puṇyanicaye sābhyasūyo hyadharmiṣu

Translation

കാമം സ്വന്തം ഭാര്യയിലേയ്ക്ക് മാത്രം നിയന്ത്രിക്കൂ; ക്രോധം സ്വന്തം ശത്രുക്കളോടേയ്ക്ക് മാത്രം വിടൂ; ലോഭം പുണ്യസഞ്ചയത്തിനായിരിക്കട്ടെ; അധർമികളോടേയ്ക്ക് മാത്രം അഭ്യസൂയ/രോഷം വയ്ക്കൂ।

Word by Word

• सकामः: desirous
• सकामः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सकाम = स (सह/युक्त) + काम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (युक्तः कामेन)

• निजदारेषु: in one’s own wife/wives
• निजदारेषु: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निजदार = निज (प्रातिपदिक) + दार (प्रातिपदिक, बहुवचन-प्रयोग)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), बहुवचन; ‘दार’ बहुवचनान्त

• सक्रोधः: wrathful
• सक्रोधः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सक्रोध = स (युक्त) + क्रोध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (युक्तः क्रोधेन)

• निज: one’s own
• निज: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (अत्र ‘शत्रुषु’ विशेषणार्थे)

• शत्रुषु: among enemies
• शत्रुषु: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत्रु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (अधिकरण), बहुवचन

• सलोभः: greedy
• सलोभः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सलोभ = स (युक्त) + लोभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (युक्तः लोभेन)

• पुण्यनिचये: in accumulation of merit
• पुण्यनिचये: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुण्यनिचय = पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक) + निचय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (अधिकरण), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (पुण्यस्य निचयः)

• साभ्यसूयः: envious/censorious
• साभ्यसूयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: साभ्यसूय = स (युक्त) + अभ्यसूय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (युक्तः अभ्यसूयया)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अवधान/हेतु-बोधक

• अधर्मिषु: among the unrighteous
• अधर्मिषु: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अधर्मिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (अधिकरण), बहुवचन; ‘अधर्मिन्’ = अधर्मयुक्तः

Speaker

Unspecified (didactic instruction within Brahmottarakhaṇḍa; speaker not stated in the snippet)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Four impulses personified and ‘reoriented’: Kāma shown as a controlled flame within a household shrine; Krodha as a sword sheathed unless needed; Lobha as hands collecting offerings for charity; Abhyasūyā as a stern gaze toward adharma while remaining calm within.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Human impulses are to be disciplined and redirected—toward fidelity, righteous protection, and the pursuit of puṇya.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned; the verse offers universal nīti applicable to all places.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is stated; the “accumulation of merit” implies dharmic acts such as dāna, vrata, worship, and service.