Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 74

Devanagari script

यस्य राज्ञः प्रजा राष्ट्रे पच्यते नरकेषु सः । अचौरं चौरवत्पश्येच्चौरं वाऽचौररूपिणम्

Transliteration

yasya rājñaḥ prajā rāṣṭre pacyate narakeṣu saḥ | acauraṃ cauravatpaśyeccauraṃ vā'caurarūpiṇam

Translation

جس بادشاہ کی رعایا اس کے ملک میں دوزخوں میں ‘پکائی’ جاتی ہے، وہی بادشاہ ہے جو بے گناہ کو چور سمجھ لے، یا چور کو بے چور کے روپ میں دیکھے۔

Word by Word

• yasya: whose
• yasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (Genitive/6th), एकवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक सर्वनाम

• rājñaḥ: of the king
• rājñaḥ: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (Genitive/6th), एकवचन

• prajā: the subjects, people
• prajā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prajā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (collective)

• rāṣṭre: in the kingdom
• rāṣṭre: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rāṣṭra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• pacyate: is cooked/tormented
• pacyate: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √pac (पच् धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), कर्मणि प्रयोग (Passive), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• narakeṣu: in hells
• narakeṣu: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: naraka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative/7th), बहुवचन

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• acauraṃ: a non-thief (innocent person)
• acauraṃ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: a- + caura (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; नञ्-प्रत्यय (negated)

• cauravat: like a thief
• cauravat: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: caura + vat (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययवत्)
• Form: उपमानवाचक अव्यय (adverbial ‘like’)

• paśyet: should see/regard
• paśyet: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dṛś (दृश् धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• cauram: a thief
• cauram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: caura (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• vā: or
• vā: Vikalpa (Alternative/विकल्प)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक अव्यय (or)

• acaura-rūpiṇam: one having the form/appearance of a non-thief
• acaura-rūpiṇam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: a- + caura + rūpin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (determinative) ‘अचौररूपः’ = having the appearance of a non-thief

Speaker

Mahākāla (contextual—Kaumārikākhaṇḍa dialogue; immediate speaker not marked in this verse)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A king on the judgment seat: an innocent bound as ‘thief’ while a real thief stands disguised and honored; behind, a vision of naraka flames ‘cooking’ souls as karmic warning.

Characters & Entities

• rājā (king)
• prajā (subjects)
• naraka (hell)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Misjudgment and injustice by rulers is a grave adharma that leads to severe karmic consequence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; the focus is rāja-dharma and karmic retribution.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is an ethical injunction about correct discernment and justice.