Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 87

Devanagari script

संदधीत न चानार्यान्विगृह्णीयान्न बंधुभिः । नानाप्तैश्चारयेच्चारान्कुर्यात्कार्यमपीडयन्

Transliteration

saṃdadhīta na cānāryānvigṛhṇīyānna baṃdhubhiḥ | nānāptaiścārayeccārānkuryātkāryamapīḍayan

Translation

พึงผูกไมตรีและทำสัญญา แต่ไม่กับคนอันต่ำทราม; พึงไม่วิวาทกับญาติของตน พึงใช้สายลับผ่านผู้ที่ไว้วางใจได้ และพึงทำกิจให้สำเร็จโดยไม่กดขี่ผู้ใด

Word by Word

• saṃdadhīta: should make alliance/compose, should join
• saṃdadhīta: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam- + dhā (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

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

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

• anāryān: ignoble people
• anāryān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anārya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• vigṛhṇīyāt: should quarrel/contend
• vigṛhṇīyāt: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi- + grah (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

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

• baṃdhubhiḥ: with kinsmen
• baṃdhubhiḥ: Sahakāraka (Instrument/Associate/सह-करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: baṃdhu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण/सह), बहुवचन

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

• anāptaiḥ: with untrustworthy/non-intimates
• anāptaiḥ: Sahakāraka (Instrument/Associate/सह-करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anāpta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; नञ्-प्रत्ययार्थ

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

• cārayet: should employ/send
• cārayet: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: car (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; णिच्-प्रयोग (causative)

• cārān: spies, agents
• cārān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: cāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• kuryāt: should do
• kuryāt: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• kāryam: a task, what is to be done
• kāryam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kārya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• apīḍayan: without oppressing
• apīḍayan: Kriya-viśeṣaṇa (Manner/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: a- + pīḍ (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ/Present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; नञ्-प्रत्ययार्थ; क्रियाविशेषणभावे (adverbial to kuryāt)

Speaker

Nārada

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra (within Prabhāsa)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Bali

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A diplomatic council: the king consults ministers, rejects an ignoble envoy, reconciles with kinsmen, dispatches discreet messengers, and issues orders ensuring no oppression of subjects.

Characters & Entities

• Nārada

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Effective rule must be ethical: choose good company, preserve family harmony, and avoid governance through oppression.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The setting is the Vastrāpatha-kṣetra Māhātmya in Prabhāsa; this verse supports the dharma-teaching dimension of the māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is guidance on conduct and administration.