Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

ते हि पापसमाचारास्तस्करेभ्योऽपि तस्कराः । प्राग्दृष्टदोषान्स्वल्पेषु दिव्येषु विनियोजयेत्

Transliteration

te hi pāpasamācārāstaskarebhyo'pi taskarāḥ | prāgdṛṣṭadoṣānsvalpeṣu divyeṣu viniyojayet

Translation

ഇവർ പാപാചാരികൾ; കള്ളന്മാരിലും വലിയ കള്ളന്മാർ. മുമ്പേ ദോഷം കണ്ടവരെ, മുൻപരിശോധനാനുസാരം, ചെറിയ ദിവ്യപരീക്ഷകളിലേയ്ക്ക് മാത്രം രാജാവ് നിയോഗിക്കണം।

Word by Word

• te: they
• te: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन

• hi: indeed
• hi: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), निश्चयार्थ (indeed)

• pāpa-samācārāḥ: of evil conduct
• pāpa-samācārāḥ: Karta (Predicate nominative/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāpa (प्रातिपदिक) + samācāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (पापः समाचारा यस्य/ये) — 'evil conduct' as predicate noun

• taskarebhyaḥ: than thieves
• taskarebhyaḥ: Apadana (Comparison-source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: taskara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), बहुवचन

• api: even
• api: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपि-निपात (even/also)

• taskarāḥ: thieves
• taskarāḥ: Karta (Predicate nominative/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: taskara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन

• prāk: previously
• prāk: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: prāk (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: previously/earlier)

• dṛṣṭa-doṣān: those with known faults
• dṛṣṭa-doṣān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dṛṣṭa (√dṛś, क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त) + doṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), बहुवचन; कर्मधारयः (दृष्टः दोषः येषां/दोषाः) — 'those whose faults are seen/known'

• svalpeṣu: in minor (tests)
• svalpeṣu: Adhikarana (Location-qualifier/अधिकरणविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: svalpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (दिव्येषु)

• divyeṣu: in ordeals/tests
• divyeṣu: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: divya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), बहुवचन; 'दिव्य' = ordeal/test

• viniyojayet: should assign/apply
• viniyojayet: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi-ni-√yuj (युज्)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative/विधि), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) (deduced for Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narrative style)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A courtroom tableau with two sets of ordeals: minor implements on one side, major on the other; scribes record prior offenses; the king points to the minor ordeal for a known wrongdoer while dharmic elders nod, emphasizing measured justice.

Characters & Entities

• Bhārata (epithet)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma requires discernment: punishment and testing should match a person’s proven conduct, not mere suspicion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; it focuses on rājadharma and judicial procedure.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It refers to using minor ‘divya’ ordeals (divya-parīkṣā) for those with previously established faults.