Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 95

Devanagari script

अन्यायोपार्जितैर्द्रव्यैः श्राद्धं यत्क्रियते नरैः । तृप्यंति तेन चण्डालपुल्कसादिषु योनिषु

Transliteration

anyāyopārjitairdravyaiḥ śrāddhaṃ yatkriyate naraiḥ | tṛpyaṃti tena caṇḍālapulkasādiṣu yoniṣu

Translation

若人以不义所得之财修行施食祭（śrāddha），则由此供献，投生于旃陀罗（Caṇḍāla）、普尔迦沙（Pulkaśa）等诸类胎中的众生便得满足。

Word by Word

• अन्यायोपार्जितैः: by unjustly acquired
• अन्यायोपार्जितैः: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्याय + उपार्जित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; उप + √अर्ज् (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त विशेषणम्; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (अन्यायेन उपार्जितैः = unjustly acquired)

• द्रव्यैः: wealth/materials
• द्रव्यैः: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्रव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्

• श्राद्धम्: śrāddha (funeral offering)
• श्राद्धम्: Karma (Object/कर्म) / Karta (grammatical subject of passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• यत्: which
• यत्: Sambandha (relative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; सम्बन्धक-सर्वनाम

• क्रियते: is performed
• क्रियते: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः (Present), प्रथम-पुरुषः, एकवचनम्; आत्मनेपदम्; कर्मणि-प्रयोगः (passive: ‘is done’)

• नरैः: by men
• नरैः: Karta (Agent in passive/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्

• तृप्यन्ति: are satisfied
• तृप्यन्ति: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √तृप् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः, प्रथम-पुरुषः, बहुवचनम्; आत्मनेपदम्

• तेन: by that/thereby
• तेन: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे/पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; सर्वनाम

• चण्डालपुल्कसादिषु: among caṇḍālas, pulkasas, etc.
• चण्डालपुल्कसादिषु: Adhikaraṇa (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चण्डाल + पुल्कस + आदि (प्रातिपदिकानि)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; समासः—द्वन्द्वः (चण्डाल-पुल्कस-आदि)

• योनिषु: in births/wombs
• योनिषु: Adhikaraṇa (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्

Speaker

Unspecified (didactic voice on ritual ethics)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A man performs śrāddha with lavish offerings, but shadowy stains cling to the coins and vessels; the intended pitṛs remain unsatisfied while distant figures in low births receive the nourishment instead—an ethical inversion.

Characters & Entities

• Śrāddha
• Caṇḍāla
• Pulkaśa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Rituals inherit the moral quality of their means; unjust earnings distort the intended spiritual beneficiaries and outcomes.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dharmāraṇya provides the moral-ritual teaching setting; the verse stresses ethical correctness rather than a named pilgrimage spot.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Śrāddha should not be performed with anyāyopārjita (unjustly acquired) substances.