Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 106

Devanagari script

सर्वमार्गं विलुंमपंति लोभाज्जातिषु निष्ठुराः । धर्मावतंसकाः क्षुद्रा मुष्णंति ध्वजिनो जगत्

Transliteration

sarvamārgaṃ viluṃmapaṃti lobhājjātiṣu niṣṭhurāḥ | dharmāvataṃsakāḥ kṣudrā muṣṇaṃti dhvajino jagat

Translation

ଲୋଭରେ ପ୍ରେରିତ ନିଷ୍ଠୁରହୃଦୟ ଲୋକେ ବିଭିନ୍ନ ଜାତି-ଗୋଷ୍ଠୀମାନଙ୍କ ମଧ୍ୟରେ ଦେଖାଦେଇ ସମସ୍ତ ପଥକୁ ଲୁଟନ୍ତି। କ୍ଷୁଦ୍ର ଲୋକ ‘ଧର୍ମ’କୁ ଅଳଙ୍କାର କରି, ଧ୍ୱଜ ଧରି ଜଗତକୁ ଲୁଟନ୍ତି।

Word by Word

• सर्वमार्गम्: every path / the whole way
• सर्वमार्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व + मार्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• विलुम्पन्ति: they plunder/rob
• विलुम्पन्ति: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लुप्/लुम्प् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (Plural), वि-उपसर्ग

• लोभात्: from/through greed
• लोभात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), पञ्चमी (Ablative/5th), एकवचन (Singular)

• जातिषु: among castes/births
• जातिषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जाति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), सप्तमी (Locative/7th), बहुवचन (Plural)

• निष्ठुराः: cruel
• निष्ठुराः: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निष्ठुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• धर्मावतंसकाः: those who wear dharma as an ornament (hypocrites)
• धर्मावतंसकाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म + अवतंसक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• क्षुद्राः: base/petty
• क्षुद्राः: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्षुद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• मुष्णन्ति: they steal
• मुष्णन्ति: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुष् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (Plural)

• ध्वजिनः: banner-bearers; (here) pretenders/sectarians
• ध्वजिनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ध्वजिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• जगत्: the world
• जगत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta), contextually within Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narration to the sages

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A procession of petty men carrying banners and wearing religious marks, while secretly looting travelers on a road; dharma depicted as a garland worn as mere decoration, contrasted with a true ascetic protecting pilgrims.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Greed makes people cruel and destructive, and false displays of religiosity can become a mask for exploitation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; it is a general dharma-teaching within the Kaumārikākhaṇḍa context.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is prescribed here; the verse critiques unethical conduct rooted in greed.