Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 73

Devanagari script

विश्वामित्र उवाच । एकाकी मृष्टम श्नातु प्रशंस्यादथ चात्मनः । वेदविक्रयकर्तास्तु बिसस्तैन्यं करोति यः

Transliteration

viśvāmitra uvāca | ekākī mṛṣṭama śnātu praśaṃsyādatha cātmanaḥ | vedavikrayakartāstu bisastainyaṃ karoti yaḥ

Translation

বিশ্বামিত্ৰ ক’লে: যি পদুমৰ ডাঁটি চুৰ কৰে, সি একাকী সুস্বাদু আহাৰ খাওক, নিজৰ প্ৰশংসা নিজে কৰক, আৰু বেদ বিক্ৰী কৰা লোক হৈ পৰক।

Word by Word

• विश्वामित्रः: Viśvāmitra
• विश्वामित्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विश्वामित्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (कर्ता), एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन — Perfect, 3rd person, Singular

• एकाकी: alone, solitary
• एकाकी: Karta-prakriti (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एकाकिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Singular; विशेषण

• मृष्टम्: delicacy, well-prepared food
• मृष्टम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृष्ट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन — Neuter, Accusative, Singular; ‘मृष्ट’ = well-prepared food

• श्नातु: let (him) eat
• श्नातु: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अश् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन — Imperative, 3rd person, Singular; (पाठे ‘श्नातु’ = ‘अश्नातु’ लोप/संक्षेप)

• प्रशंस्यात्: should praise
• प्रशंस्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-शंस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्-लकार, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन — Optative, 3rd person, Singular

• अथ: then, and
• अथ: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अनन्तर/प्रसङ्ग-बोधक अव्यय — connective particle

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-बोधक अव्यय — conjunction

• आत्मनः: of himself
• आत्मनः: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन — Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• वेदविक्रयकर्ता: seller of the Veda (one who sells sacred knowledge)
• वेदविक्रयकर्ता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेद + विक्रय + कर्तृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (कर्ता), एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Singular; षष्ठी/सप्तमी-तत्पुरुषार्थे समासः: ‘वेदस्य विक्रयकर्ता’ (seller of the Veda)

• अस्तु: let (him) be
• अस्तु: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन — Imperative, 3rd person, Singular

• बिसस्तैन्यम्: theft of lotus-stalks
• बिसस्तैन्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बिस + स्तैन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन — Neuter, Accusative, Singular; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (बिसस्य स्तैन्यम्)

• करोति: does, commits
• करोति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन — Present, 3rd person, Singular

• यः: who (he who)
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (कर्ता), एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Singular; सम्बन्धक-सर्वनाम

Speaker

Viśvāmitra

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: tirtha

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Viśvāmitra pronounces judgment; a man eats luxurious food alone on a plate, preening and praising himself; behind him, a marketplace scene where scrolls/mantras are traded for coins—set against a quiet temple pond with lotuses.

Characters & Entities

• Viśvāmitra
• Veda

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred knowledge is not merchandise; theft nurtures selfishness, vanity, and the profanation of the Veda.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The exact tīrtha is not named in this verse; it belongs to Nāgara Khaṇḍa’s Tīrthamāhātmya narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicitly, do not commercialize the Veda; uphold purity of teaching and conduct, especially in a sacred tīrtha setting.