Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 32

Devanagari script

एवं ब्रुवंति लोकेऽत्र धनिनां पुरतः स्थिताः । कुलीना अपि पापानां दृश्यंते धनलिप्सया । दरिद्रस्य मनुष्यस्य क्षितौ राज्यं प्रकुर्वतः

Transliteration

evaṃ bruvaṃti loke'tra dhanināṃ purataḥ sthitāḥ | kulīnā api pāpānāṃ dṛśyaṃte dhanalipsayā | daridrasya manuṣyasya kṣitau rājyaṃ prakurvataḥ

Translation

اسی دنیا میں لوگ دولت مندوں کے سامنے کھڑے ہو کر اسی طرح باتیں کرتے ہیں۔ مال کی حرص میں شریف النسل بھی گناہ آلود روش اختیار کرتے دکھائی دیتے ہیں—خاص طور پر جب کوئی غریب آدمی زمین پر اقتدار قائم کرنے لگے۔

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Kriya-visheshana (Manner adjunct/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकार-अव्यय (Adverb of manner)

• ब्रुवन्ति: they say
• ब्रुवन्ति: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (Plural), परस्मैपद

• लोके: in the world
• लोके: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), सप्तमी (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location adjunct/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देश-अव्यय (Adverb of place)

• धनिनाम्: of the wealthy
• धनिनाम्: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धनिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), षष्ठी (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (Plural)

• पुरतः: in front (of)
• पुरतः: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरतः (अव्यय/उपपद)
• Form: स्थान-अव्यय (Prepositional adverb: 'in front of')

• स्थिताः: standing
• स्थिताः: Visheshana (Qualifier of implied 'they'/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्था (धातु) + स्थित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (Past participle), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• कुलीनाः: noble-born people
• कुलीनाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुलीन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• अपि: even / also
• अपि: Sambandha/Emphasis (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (Particle: concessive/emphatic)

• पापानाम्: of sins / of the sinful
• पापानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), षष्ठी (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (Plural)

• दृश्यन्ते: are seen / appear
• दृश्यन्ते: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (Plural), आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (Passive)

• धनलिप्सया: by desire for wealth
• धनलिप्सया: Karana/Hetu (Instrument/Cause/करण-हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धन + लिप्सा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), तृतीया (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• दरिद्रस्य: of a poor
• दरिद्रस्य: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दरिद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), षष्ठी (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण

• मनुष्यस्य: of a man
• मनुष्यस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनुष्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), षष्ठी (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• क्षितौ: on the earth
• क्षितौ: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षिति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), सप्तमी (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• राज्यम्: kingdom / rule
• राज्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राज्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• प्रकुर्वतः: of (one) undertaking / doing
• प्रकुर्वतः: Sambandha (Genitive: 'of (one) doing')
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र + कृ (धातु) + कुर्वत् (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (Present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), षष्ठी (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Narrative voice (contextual; speaker not explicitly marked in this verse)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A wealthy patron seated; a line of petitioners and courtiers stand before him, speaking sweetly; among them, even a noble-looking person bends in greed. In the background, a poor aspirant to power is mocked or obstructed.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Greed for wealth can corrupt even the well-born; dharma declines when people flatter power and money.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse is part of a Tīrthamāhātmya setting, but no specific tīrtha name appears in the given line.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct rite (snāna, dāna, japa, vrata) is prescribed in this verse.