Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 43

Devanagari script

एको ह्युपायो दंडोऽत्र भवतां यदि रोचते । दुर्जनः सुजनत्वाय कल्पते न कदाचन

Transliteration

eko hyupāyo daṃḍo'tra bhavatāṃ yadi rocate | durjanaḥ sujanatvāya kalpate na kadācana

Translation

此处唯有一策：若诸君允可，便施以“檀陀”（daṇḍa）——惩罚与威力。恶人终不堪成善人之境。

Word by Word

• ekaḥ: one, single
• ekaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: eka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifier)

• hi: indeed, surely
• hi: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle/emphasis)

• upāyaḥ: means, method
• upāyaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: upāya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• daṇḍaḥ: punishment, rod (chastisement)
• daṇḍaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: daṇḍa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; उपपद-सम्बन्धः (upāyaḥ = daṇḍaḥ)

• atra: here, in this matter
• atra: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atra (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• bhavatām: of you (honored ones)
• bhavatām: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhavat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; आदरार्थ-प्रयोग (honorific)

• yadi: if
• yadi: Sambandha (Condition marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yadi (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/शर्त-प्रदर्शक-अव्यय (conditional conjunction)

• rocate: is pleasing, seems good
• rocate: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ruc (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; भावे/कर्तरि-प्रयोगः (impersonal/it pleases)

• durjanaḥ: a wicked person
• durjanaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dur + jana (प्रातिपदिक); समासः
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (दुष्टः जनः)

• sujanatvāya: for becoming good-natured / for goodness
• sujanatvāya: Sampradana (Recipient/Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sujanatva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; प्रयोजन/उद्देश्य (purpose)

• kalpate: becomes, is fit/possible
• kalpate: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kḷp (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात (negation particle)

• kadācana: ever, at any time
• kadācana: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kadācana (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time); सर्वदा-निषेधार्थे (ever/at any time)

Speaker

Bṛhaspati

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A celestial council scene: a stern advisor speaks of daṇḍa as the only expedient; devas listen with grave attention, the atmosphere charged with duty and impending action.

Characters & Entities

• Bṛhaspati

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Compassion must be paired with realism; protecting the innocent may require decisive restraint of the wicked.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.