Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 110

Devanagari script

अर्थवान्दुष्कुलीनोऽपि लोके पूज्यतमो नरः । शशिनस्तुल्यवंशोऽपि निर्धनः परिभूयते

Transliteration

arthavānduṣkulīno'pi loke pūjyatamo naraḥ | śaśinastulyavaṃśo'pi nirdhanaḥ paribhūyate

Translation

ധനവാനായാൽ താഴ്ന്ന കുലത്തിൽ ജനിച്ചവനും ലോകത്തിൽ അത്യന്തം പൂജ്യനാകുന്നു; എന്നാൽ ചന്ദ്രസമമായ മഹാവംശജനായാലും നിർധനനായാൽ അവമാനിക്കപ്പെടുകയും തള്ളപ്പെടുകയും ചെയ്യുന്നു.

Word by Word

• अर्थवान्: wealthy
• अर्थवान्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अर्थवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; मतुप्-प्रत्ययान्त (possessive)

• दुष्कुलीनः: of bad lineage
• दुष्कुलीनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुष्कुलीन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण (अर्थवान्/नरः)

• अपि: even if
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्भावना/समुच्चयार्थ-निपात (even/also)

• लोके: in the world
• लोके: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th) अधिकरण, एकवचन

• पूज्यतमः: most worthy of honor
• पूज्यतमः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूज्य (प्रातिपदिक; √पूज् + यत्) + तमप् (प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; अतिशय (superlative)

• नरः: man
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• शशिनः: of the moon
• शशिनः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शशिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th) सम्बन्ध, एकवचन

• तुल्य-वंशः: of lineage equal (to the moon)
• तुल्य-वंशः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तुल्य (प्रातिपदिक) + वंश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्मधारय (तुल्यः वंशः यस्य)

• अपि: even if
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्भावना/समुच्चयार्थ-निपात

• निर्धनः: a poor man
• निर्धनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निर्धन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• परिभूयते: is despised/treated with contempt
• परिभूयते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि-√भू (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) (deduced for Māheśvarakhaṇḍa context)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A wealthy low-born man receives public honors; a noble-born but poor man is ignored—contrasted to a sage indicating that true honor lies in dharma.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It exposes worldly bias: society honors wealth over virtue or lineage, urging a dharmic reevaluation of true worth.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None is specified in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual; the implied dharma is to honor virtue and righteousness rather than mere wealth.