Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

ते हि पापसमाचारास्तस्करेभ्योऽपि तस्कराः । प्राग्दृष्टदोषान्स्वल्पेषु दिव्येषु विनियोजयेत्

Transliteration

te hi pāpasamācārāstaskarebhyo'pi taskarāḥ | prāgdṛṣṭadoṣānsvalpeṣu divyeṣu viniyojayet

Translation

Những kẻ ấy có hạnh kiểm tội lỗi, là trộm cướp còn hơn cả trộm cướp. Nhà vua nên giao những kẻ đã sớm bị biết là có lỗi vào các phép thử thiêng liêng nhỏ, tùy theo điều đã được quan sát về tội trạng của họ.

Word by Word

• te: they
• te: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन

• hi: indeed
• hi: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), निश्चयार्थ (indeed)

• pāpa-samācārāḥ: of evil conduct
• pāpa-samācārāḥ: Karta (Predicate nominative/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāpa (प्रातिपदिक) + samācāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (पापः समाचारा यस्य/ये) — 'evil conduct' as predicate noun

• taskarebhyaḥ: than thieves
• taskarebhyaḥ: Apadana (Comparison-source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: taskara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), बहुवचन

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

• taskarāḥ: thieves
• taskarāḥ: Karta (Predicate nominative/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: taskara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन

• prāk: previously
• prāk: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: prāk (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: previously/earlier)

• dṛṣṭa-doṣān: those with known faults
• dṛṣṭa-doṣān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dṛṣṭa (√dṛś, क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त) + doṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), बहुवचन; कर्मधारयः (दृष्टः दोषः येषां/दोषाः) — 'those whose faults are seen/known'

• svalpeṣu: in minor (tests)
• svalpeṣu: Adhikarana (Location-qualifier/अधिकरणविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: svalpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (दिव्येषु)

• divyeṣu: in ordeals/tests
• divyeṣu: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: divya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), बहुवचन; 'दिव्य' = ordeal/test

• viniyojayet: should assign/apply
• viniyojayet: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi-ni-√yuj (युज्)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative/विधि), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) (deduced for Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narrative style)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A courtroom tableau with two sets of ordeals: minor implements on one side, major on the other; scribes record prior offenses; the king points to the minor ordeal for a known wrongdoer while dharmic elders nod, emphasizing measured justice.

Characters & Entities

• Bhārata (epithet)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma requires discernment: punishment and testing should match a person’s proven conduct, not mere suspicion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; it focuses on rājadharma and judicial procedure.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It refers to using minor ‘divya’ ordeals (divya-parīkṣā) for those with previously established faults.