Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 73

Devanagari script

सदा दण्डरुचिर्यश्च यो वा दण्डरुचिर्न हि । उत्कोचकैरधिकृतैस्तस्करैस्च प्रपीड्यते

Transliteration

sadā daṇḍaruciryaśca yo vā daṇḍarucirna hi | utkocakairadhikṛtaistaskaraisca prapīḍyate

Translation

Dù kẻ ấy luôn mê đắm việc trừng phạt, hay hoàn toàn không ưa trừng phạt—vẫn bị bọn quan lại ăn hối lộ và bọn trộm cướp quấy nhiễu, áp bức.

Word by Word

• sadā: always
• sadā: Kālādhi karaṇa (Temporal adverbial/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sadā (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (adverb of time)

• daṇḍaruciḥ: one fond of punishment
• daṇḍaruciḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: daṇḍa + ruci (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); तत्पुरुष ‘दण्डे रुचिः’ (fond of punishment)

• yaḥ: who
• yaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• yaḥ: who
• yaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक सर्वनाम

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

• daṇḍaruciḥ: fond of punishment
• daṇḍaruciḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: daṇḍa + ruci (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष

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

• hi: indeed, for
• hi: Nipāta (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), हेत्वर्थ/अवधारणार्थ (for/indeed)

• utkocakaiḥ: by bribe-takers/extortioners
• utkocakaiḥ: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: utkocaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), तृतीया (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (Plural)

• adhikṛtaiḥ: by appointed (officials)
• adhikṛtaiḥ: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: adhi + √kṛ (कृ धातु) → adhikṛta (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; ‘appointed/authorized’

• taskaraiḥ: by thieves
• taskaraiḥ: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: taskara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• prapīḍyate: is oppressed/harassed
• prapīḍyate: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra + √pīḍ (पीड् धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), कर्मणि प्रयोग (Passive), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta), deduced from Māheśvara-khaṇḍa narrative convention

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A road with travelers/pilgrims being squeezed by bribery-taking officials at a checkpoint while thieves lurk; the ruler’s emblem appears indifferent, symbolizing imbalance in daṇḍa.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When governance and social order degrade, corruption and theft prevail; dharma requires balanced, principled administration of daṇḍa.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No sacred site is referenced; the verse is a nīti-oriented observation.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it discusses administrative ethics and social consequences.