Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 96

Devanagari script

सर्वकृत्येषु दुःशीलाः ।सुयत्नेनापि रक्षिताः । निर्दयाश्चापि भूपालाः पीडयिष्यंति कर्षुकान्

Transliteration

sarvakṛtyeṣu duḥśīlāḥ |suyatnenāpi rakṣitāḥ | nirdayāścāpi bhūpālāḥ pīḍayiṣyaṃti karṣukān

Translation

ସମସ୍ତ କର୍ତ୍ତବ୍ୟରେ ଲୋକେ ଦୁଶ୍ଚରିତ୍ର ହେବେ—ଯତ୍ନକରି ରକ୍ଷା ଓ ଶିକ୍ଷା ଦେଲେ ମଧ୍ୟ। ନିର୍ଦୟ ରାଜାମାନେ ମଧ୍ୟ କୃଷକମାନଙ୍କୁ ପୀଡ଼ିବେ।

Word by Word

• सर्वकृत्येषु: in all duties/affairs
• सर्वकृत्येषु: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व + कृत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), बहुवचन; अधिकरण (locative)

• दुःशीलाः: ill-natured
• दुःशीलाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुःशील (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; विशेषण

• सुयत्नेन: with great effort
• सुयत्नेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सु + यत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; करण (instrumental)

• अपि: even/also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), समुच्चय/अपि-भाव

• रक्षिताः: protected/guarded
• रक्षिताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रक्ष् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषण

• निर्दयाः: merciless
• निर्दयाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर्दय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषण

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle)

• भूपालाः: kings/rulers
• भूपालाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूपाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; कर्तृपद

• पीडयिष्यन्ति: will torment/oppress
• पीडयिष्यन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पीड् (धातु) + णिच् (causative)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future/लृट्), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन

• कर्षुकान्: farmers/ploughmen
• कर्षुकान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्षुक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), बहुवचन; कर्मपद

Speaker

Bṛhaspati

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Suraśreṣṭha (best among the gods; likely Indra or the assembled devas)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A bleak Kali-yuga tableau: anxious cultivators in fields, tax-collectors and harsh kings in the background; dharma personified as weakened, while a sage-like figure gestures in warning.

Characters & Entities

• Bṛhaspati
• bhūpāla (rulers)
• karṣuka (farmers)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When rajadharma collapses, society suffers most at its roots—those who sustain life through cultivation are harmed.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tirtha is named in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a warning about the ethical duties of rulers and society.