Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 94

Devanagari script

वित्तलोभात्प्रदास्यंति कुत्सिताय नराः सुताम् । कन्यकाः प्रसविष्यंति कन्यकाः सुरतोत्सुकाः

Transliteration

vittalobhātpradāsyaṃti kutsitāya narāḥ sutām | kanyakāḥ prasaviṣyaṃti kanyakāḥ suratotsukāḥ

Translation

ധനലോഭം മൂലം പുരുഷന്മാർ അയോഗ്യനു പുത്രിയെ വിവാഹം കഴിപ്പിക്കും. സുഖാസക്തയായ കന്യകൾ വിവാഹമില്ലാതെ തന്നെ സന്താനം പ്രസവിക്കും.

Word by Word

• वित्तलोभात्: from greed for wealth
• वित्तलोभात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वित्त + लोभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (vittasya lobhaḥ)

• प्रदास्यन्ति: will give away
• प्रदास्यन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + √दा (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार, प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• कुत्सिताय: to a despicable (man)
• कुत्सिताय: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कुत्सित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Dative), एकवचन; विशेषण (used substantively)

• नराः: men
• नराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• सुताम्: daughter
• सुताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• कन्यकाः: girls, maidens
• कन्यकाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कन्यका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• प्रसविष्यन्ति: will give birth
• प्रसविष्यन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + √सू (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार, प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• कन्यकाः: girls
• कन्यकाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कन्यका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• सुरतोत्सुकाः: eager for sexual pleasure
• सुरतोत्सुकाः: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुरत + उत्सुक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषण; तत्पुरुष (surate utsukāḥ)

Speaker

Bṛhaspati

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A wedding scene where coins outweigh blessings; an unworthy groom is chosen for wealth; young girls appear anxious; the sacred fire is dim, suggesting ritual hollowing.

Characters & Entities

• Bṛhaspati

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Greed distorts dharma: when wealth becomes the motive, social and personal conduct collapses.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No particular tirtha is mentioned in this verse; it appears within a Mahatmya chapter describing yuga-conditions.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it describes adharma arising from vitta-lobha (greed for wealth).