Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 49

Devanagari script

यज्ञारामतडागादिदारापत्यस्य विक्रयः । तीर्थयात्रोपवासानां व्रतायतनकर्मणाम्

Transliteration

yajñārāmataḍāgādidārāpatyasya vikrayaḥ | tīrthayātropavāsānāṃ vratāyatanakarmaṇām

Translation

بيعُ بساتينِ اليَجْنَة والبركِ ونحوِها، بل وبيعُ الزوجةِ والأولاد؛ واتخاذُ الحجِّ إلى التيرثا، والصيامِ (أوبَفاسا)، والأعمالِ المتعلّقةِ بالنذور (فرَتَة) ومواطنِها المقدّسةِ سِلعةً للربح—كلُّ ذلك يُعَدُّ من السلوكيّات المذمومة.

Word by Word

• यज्ञ: sacrifice
• यज्ञ: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: (समासपूर्वपद) प्रातिपदिक; 'sacrifice'

• आराम: garden
• आराम: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आराम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: (समासपूर्वपद) प्रातिपदिक; 'garden'

• तडाग: pond
• तडाग: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तडाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: (समासपूर्वपद) प्रातिपदिक; 'pond/tank'

• आदि: and the like
• आदि: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आदि (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थे 'etc.' (indeclinable: etcetera)

• दार: wife
• दार: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दार (प्रातिपदिक; बहुवचनान्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: (समासपूर्वपद) पुंलिङ्ग; 'wife/wives' (as a stem in compound)

• अपत्यस्य: of offspring/children
• अपत्यस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अपत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन (Neuter, Genitive, Singular)

• विक्रयः: sale
• विक्रयः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विक्रय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

• तीर्थ: holy place
• तीर्थ: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: (समासपूर्वपद) प्रातिपदिक; 'pilgrimage-place'

• यात्रा: journey
• यात्रा: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यात्रा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: (समासपूर्वपद) स्त्रीलिङ्ग-प्रातिपदिक; 'journey'

• उपवासानाम्: of fasts
• उपवासानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपवास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन (Masculine, Genitive, Plural)

• व्रत: vow
• व्रत: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्रत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: (समासपूर्वपद) नपुंसकलिङ्ग-प्रातिपदिक; 'vow'

• आयतन: abode, seat
• आयतन: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आयतन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: (समासपूर्वपद) नपुंसकलिङ्ग-प्रातिपदिक; 'abode/seat'

• कर्मणाम्: of rites/actions
• कर्मणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन (Neuter, Genitive, Plural)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages (deduced from Māheśvara Khaṇḍa context)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sacred pond and yajña-garden with a sign of ‘for sale’ is shown as ominous; a greedy broker weighs coins while a sage points to the withering of the garden. Another vignette shows a pilgrim refusing a fraudulent ‘paid fast’ scheme, choosing sincere austerity.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred works—pilgrimage, fasting, and vows—must not be turned into exploitation; dharma rejects treating holy acts and dependents as commodities.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No particular tīrtha is named; the verse speaks generally about the sanctity of tīrtha-yātrā and vrata practices.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It references tīrtha-yātrā, upavāsa, and vrata-related works, warning against improper handling or misuse rather than prescribing a specific rite.