Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 25

Devanagari script

प्रत्यक्षोक्तिः प्रत्ययश्च प्रश्नपूर्वः प्रतिग्रहः । याजनाऽध्यापने वादः षड्विधो वेदविक्रयः

Transliteration

pratyakṣoktiḥ pratyayaśca praśnapūrvaḥ pratigrahaḥ | yājanā'dhyāpane vādaḥ ṣaḍvidho vedavikrayaḥ

Translation

يُقال إن «بيع الفيدا» ستةُ أنواع: التصريحُ المباشرُ بالأجرة، والمساومةُ أو طلبُ الضمان، وقبولُ العطية بعد أن يُسأل المرءُ أولًا (أي مشروطة بالأسئلة)، وإقامةُ اليَجْنَا لقاءَ مال، وتعليمُ الفيدا لقاءَ مال، والجدالُ طلبًا للربح.

Word by Word

• प्रत्यक्षोक्तिः: direct utterance (in person)
• प्रत्यक्षोक्तिः: Karta (Enumerated item)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रत्यक्ष (प्रातिपदिक) + उक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुषार्थे (प्रत्यक्षया उक्ति:) (feminine, nominative, singular)

• प्रत्ययः: pledge/assurance (agreement)
• प्रत्ययः: Karta (Enumerated item)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रत्यय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (masculine, nominative, singular)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• प्रश्नपूर्वः: preceded by questions
• प्रश्नपूर्वः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रश्न (प्रातिपदिक) + पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (प्रश्नः पूर्वो यस्य) (masculine, nominative, singular)

• प्रतिग्रहः: acceptance (of a fee/gift)
• प्रतिग्रहः: Karta (Enumerated item)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रतिग्रह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (masculine, nominative, singular)

• याजना: performing sacrifice for others (as priest)
• याजना: Karta (Enumerated item)
• Type: Noun
• Root: याजना (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (feminine, nominative, singular)

• अध्यापने: in teaching (for pay)
• अध्यापने: Adhikaraṇa (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अध्यापन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन (neuter, locative, singular)

• वादः: debate/disputation
• वादः: Karta (Enumerated item)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (masculine, nominative, singular)

• षड्विधः: sixfold
• षड्विधः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: षट् (प्रातिपदिक) + विध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; द्विगु-समास (षड् विधाः यस्य) (masculine, nominative, singular)

• वेदविक्रयः: sale of the Veda
• वेदविक्रयः: Karta (Topic/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेद (प्रातिपदिक) + विक्रय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (वेदस्य विक्रयः) (masculine, nominative, singular)

Speaker

Unknown (within Prabhāsakṣetramāhātmya dialogue; addressed to ‘Devi’)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A didactic ‘six-panel’ tableau: (1) teacher stating a fee, (2) bargaining, (3) conditional gift after questions, (4) paid yajña officiation, (5) paid teaching, (6) debate in an assembly with coins at stake—each labeled as a form of Veda-selling.

Characters & Entities

• Devī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It defines how sacred learning becomes corrupted when treated as a paid commodity across multiple social contexts.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa Kṣetra is the setting; the verse provides dharma-guidance for life in a sacred region.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A restraint regarding yājana (officiation) and adhyāpana (teaching): they should not be done as ‘sale’ of the Veda.