Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 75

Devanagari script

वित्तलोभेन यत्रैषा निविष्टा पञ्चभर्तृका । तथा च वचनं प्रोक्तं ब्राह्मणीयं भविष्यति

Transliteration

vittalobhena yatraiṣā niviṣṭā pañcabhartṛkā | tathā ca vacanaṃ proktaṃ brāhmaṇīyaṃ bhaviṣyati

Translation

ധനലോഭം കൊണ്ടു ഈ ‘പഞ്ചഭർത്തൃക’ സ്ത്രീയെ എവിടെ സ്ഥാപിച്ചുവോ, അവിടെയും വാക്ക് പ്രസ്താവിക്കപ്പെട്ടു—ഇത് ‘ബ്രാഹ്മണീയം’ (ബ്രാഹ്മണരെ സംബന്ധിക്കുന്ന കാര്യം) ആകും।

Word by Word

• वित्तलोभेन: by greed for wealth
• वित्तलोभेन: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vitta (प्रातिपदिक) + lobha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन — instrumental ‘by greed for wealth’; समासः (तत्पुरुषः: वित्तस्य लोभः)

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yatra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (देशवाचक) — ‘where’

• एषा: this (woman)
• एषा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — ‘this (woman)’

• निविष्टा: has entered/settled
• निविष्टा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ni-viś (धातु) + kta (क्त)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — ‘seated/entered/settled’

• पञ्चभर्तृका: having five husbands
• पञ्चभर्तृका: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pañca (प्रातिपदिक) + bhartṛ (प्रातिपदिक) + ka (क-प्रत्यय)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — ‘having five husbands’; समासः (तत्पुरुषः)

• तथा: thus
• तथा: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय — ‘thus/accordingly’

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय) — ‘and’

• वचनम्: a statement
• वचनम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vacana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — nominative ‘statement/word’

• प्रोक्तम्: was spoken
• प्रोक्तम्: Predicative (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pra-vac (धातु) + kta (क्त)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — ‘spoken/declared’; agrees with वचनम्

• ब्राह्मणीयम्: Brahmin-related
• ब्राह्मणीयम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: brāhmaṇīya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — adjective ‘pertaining to Brahmins’; agrees with वचनम् (or implied फलम्)

• भविष्यति: will be
• भविष्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Future), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन — ‘will be/become’

Speaker

Unspecified (continuation of condemnation narrative tied to greed and ritual setting)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A patron offers wealth; priests pronounce authorizing words; the woman is ceremonially ‘installed’ near the altar; the scene hints at impending controversy, with onlookers whispering.

Characters & Entities

• pañcabhartṛkā
• brāhmaṇa
• vittalobha (greed for wealth)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When wealth-greed governs sacred or social decisions, it entangles even religious authorities in blame and downfall.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not specified in this shloka.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; it comments on greed-driven arrangements within a ritual-social context.