Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 106

Devanagari script

सर्वमार्गं विलुंमपंति लोभाज्जातिषु निष्ठुराः । धर्मावतंसकाः क्षुद्रा मुष्णंति ध्वजिनो जगत्

Transliteration

sarvamārgaṃ viluṃmapaṃti lobhājjātiṣu niṣṭhurāḥ | dharmāvataṃsakāḥ kṣudrā muṣṇaṃti dhvajino jagat

Translation

Bị lòng tham thúc đẩy, kẻ lòng dạ cứng cỏi—xuất hiện trong nhiều tầng lớp—cướp bóc mọi nẻo đường. Hạng người ti tiện, lấy “dharma” làm đồ trang sức, phất cờ diễu hành mà trộm cướp cả thế gian.

Word by Word

• सर्वमार्गम्: every path / the whole way
• सर्वमार्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व + मार्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• विलुम्पन्ति: they plunder/rob
• विलुम्पन्ति: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लुप्/लुम्प् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (Plural), वि-उपसर्ग

• लोभात्: from/through greed
• लोभात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), पञ्चमी (Ablative/5th), एकवचन (Singular)

• जातिषु: among castes/births
• जातिषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जाति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), सप्तमी (Locative/7th), बहुवचन (Plural)

• निष्ठुराः: cruel
• निष्ठुराः: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निष्ठुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• धर्मावतंसकाः: those who wear dharma as an ornament (hypocrites)
• धर्मावतंसकाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म + अवतंसक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• क्षुद्राः: base/petty
• क्षुद्राः: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्षुद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• मुष्णन्ति: they steal
• मुष्णन्ति: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुष् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (Plural)

• ध्वजिनः: banner-bearers; (here) pretenders/sectarians
• ध्वजिनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ध्वजिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• जगत्: the world
• जगत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta), contextually within Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narration to the sages

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A procession of petty men carrying banners and wearing religious marks, while secretly looting travelers on a road; dharma depicted as a garland worn as mere decoration, contrasted with a true ascetic protecting pilgrims.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Greed makes people cruel and destructive, and false displays of religiosity can become a mask for exploitation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; it is a general dharma-teaching within the Kaumārikākhaṇḍa context.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is prescribed here; the verse critiques unethical conduct rooted in greed.