Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 89

Devanagari script

नापरीक्ष्य नयेद्दण्डं न च मंत्रं प्रकाशयेत् । विसृजेन्न च लुब्धेभ्यो विश्वसेन्नापकारिषु

Transliteration

nāparīkṣya nayeddaṇḍaṃ na ca maṃtraṃ prakāśayet | visṛjenna ca lubdhebhyo viśvasennāpakāriṣu

Translation

ശരിയായി പരിശോധിക്കാതെ ശിക്ഷ വിധിക്കരുത്; രഹസ്യ ഉപദേശം വെളിപ്പെടുത്തരുത്. ലാഭലോഭികൾക്ക് കാര്യങ്ങൾ ഏൽപ്പിക്കരുത്; ഉപദ്രവം ചെയ്തവരെ വിശ്വസിക്കരുത്.

Word by Word

• na: not
• na: Pratiṣedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय

• aparīkṣya: without examining
• aparīkṣya: Kriya-viśeṣaṇa (Manner/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: a- + parīkṣ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund), नञ्-प्रत्ययार्थ; क्रियाविशेषण (prior action)

• nayet: should apply/lead (i.e., impose)
• nayet: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: nī (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• daṇḍam: punishment
• daṇḍam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: daṇḍa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• na: not
• na: Pratiṣedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय

• mantram: counsel/secret mantra
• mantram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mantra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• prakāśayet: should reveal
• prakāśayet: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra- + kāś (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; णिच्-प्रयोग (causative)

• visṛjet: should give away/entrust
• visṛjet: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi- + sṛj (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• na: not
• na: Pratiṣedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय

• lubdhebhyaḥ: to the greedy
• lubdhebhyaḥ: Sampradāna (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: lubdha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (सम्प्रदान), बहुवचन

• viśvaset: should trust
• viśvaset: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi- + śvas (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• na: not
• na: Pratiṣedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय

• apakāriṣu: in/among wrongdoers, harm-doers
• apakāriṣu: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: apakārin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), बहुवचन

Speaker

Unspecified (didactic instruction within the narrative of Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A king sits in judgment with a balance scale and palm-leaf records; a sealed manuscript symbolizes secret counsel; a greedy minister is shown reaching for coins while being turned away; a scar-marked offender stands at a distance, untrusted.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma in leadership requires discernment, restraint, and careful trust—justice without inquiry and secrecy without discipline both lead to decline.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The wider context is the Prabhāsa region, within the Vastrāpathakṣetra-māhātmya, where dharmic conduct supports the sanctity and stability of sacred land and rule.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is prescribed here; it gives nīti (ethical governance) instructions about punishment, secrecy, and trust.