Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 31

Devanagari script

दशसूनासमश्चक्री दशचक्रिसमो ध्वजी । दशध्वजि समा वेश्या दशवेश्यासमो नृपः

Transliteration

daśasūnāsamaścakrī daśacakrisamo dhvajī | daśadhvaji samā veśyā daśaveśyāsamo nṛpaḥ

Translation

ଚକ୍ର ତିଆରିକାରୀକୁ ଦଶଟି ବଧଶାଳା ସମ ପାପୀ କୁହାଯାଏ; ଧ୍ୱଜଧାରୀ ଦଶ ଚକ୍ରକାର ସମ; ବେଶ୍ୟା ଦଶ ଧ୍ୱଜଧାରୀ ସମ; ଏବଂ ରାଜା ଦଶ ବେଶ୍ୟା ସମ।

Word by Word

• दशसूनासमः: equal to ten slaughter-houses
• दशसूनासमः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दश-सूना-सम (प्रातिपदिक; दश + सूना + सम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन; विशेषण; 'equal to ten slaughter-houses'

• चक्रि: a cakrī (discus-bearer/one with a wheel)
• चक्रि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चक्रिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन; चक्रधारी (one who has a discus/wheel)

• दशचक्रिसमः: equal to ten cakrīs
• दशचक्रिसमः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दश-चक्रि-सम (प्रातिपदिक; दश + चक्रि + सम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन; विशेषण

• ध्वजि: a dhvajī (banner-bearer)
• ध्वजि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ध्वजिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन; ध्वजधारी (banner-bearer)

• दशध्वजि: ten banner-bearers
• दशध्वजि: Sambandha (Comparative standard/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दश-ध्वजि (प्रातिपदिक; दश + ध्वजि)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी/प्रथमा? (context requires comparison: 'to ten dhvajīs'); here used as first member of comparison with समा; अव्यक्त-विभक्ति-प्रयोग (elliptic)

• समा: equal
• समा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन; विशेषण (agreeing with वेश्या)

• वेश्या: courtesan
• वेश्या: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेश्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन

• दशवेश्यसमः: equal to ten courtesans
• दशवेश्यसमः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दश-वेश्या-सम (प्रातिपदिक; दश + वेश्या + सम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन; विशेषण

• नृपः: king
• नृपः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन

Speaker

Unnamed (context: dialogue in Tīrthamāhātmya; immediately followed by Indra speaking in v.33)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hāṭakeśvara (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A didactic tableau: a sage enumerates escalating sin—wheel-maker, banner-bearer, courtesan, king—shown as symbolic vignettes around him, emphasizing moral arithmetic.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It stresses gradations of social and moral responsibility, implying that greater public power can entail heavier karmic burden.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The surrounding passage (Adhyāya 206) points to the Hāṭakeśvara kṣetra as the purifying sacred locale.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual is prescribed here; it sets up the later discussion on whether to accept dāna from the sinful.