Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 22

Devanagari script

अविक्रेयान् विक्रयन् वै विकटाक्षो भवेन्नरः । अयोनिगो वृको हि स्यादुलूकः क्रयवञ्चनात्

Transliteration

avikreyān vikrayan vai vikaṭākṣo bhavennaraḥ | ayonigo vṛko hi syādulūkaḥ krayavañcanāt

Translation

Wer verkauft, was nicht verkauft werden darf, wird zu einem Menschen mit entstellten Augen. Wer Frauen widerrechtlich naht, wird zum Wolf; und wer beim Kaufen und Verkaufen betrügt, wird zur Eule.

Word by Word

• अविक्रेयान्: unsellable things
• अविक्रेयान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अ-वि-क्रेय (कृदन्त; √क्री (धातु) + यत्/ण्यत्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन (Plural); नञ्-समासार्थ (not-to-be-sold items)

• विक्रयन्: selling
• विक्रयन्: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + √क्री (धातु) + शतृ (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकालिक-कर्तरि-शतृ, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• विकटाक्षः: one with grotesque eyes
• विकटाक्षः: Karya/Phala (Result/फल)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विकट + अक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारय (विकटम् अक्षं यस्य)

• भवेत्: would become
• भवेत्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• नरः: man/person
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• अयोनिगः: one who goes to improper womb/unnatural intercourse
• अयोनिगः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अ-योनि + ग (प्रातिपदिक; √गम्/√गा? (धातु) से निष्पन्न ‘ग’ = गमनशील/गत)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; नञ्-तत्पुरुष (अयोनिं गच्छति/अयोनौ जातः इत्यर्थे)

• वृकः: wolf
• वृकः: Karya/Phala (Result/फल)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• हि: indeed/for
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: हेतौ/निश्चये-अव्यय (particle: for/indeed)

• स्यात्: would be/become
• स्यात्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• उलूकः: owl
• उलूकः: Karya/Phala (Result/फल)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उलूक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• क्रयवञ्चनात्: from cheating in buying/selling
• क्रयवञ्चनात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्रय + वञ्चना (प्रातिपदिक; √वञ्च् (धातु) + ल्युट्/घञ्)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (क्रये वञ्चना)

Speaker

Unknown (contextual narrator within Revā Khaṇḍa; likely a Purāṇic teacher addressing a king)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) milieu (contextual)

Type: river

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A bustling bazaar near a ghāṭa: a merchant selling forbidden goods; another cheating with weights; a figure pursuing a woman unlawfully; karmic overlays show distorted eyes, a wolf silhouette, and an owl perched above the stall.

Characters & Entities

• Revā (Narmadā)
• nṛpa (king)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma governs livelihood: unethical trade, sexual misconduct, and deception ripen into painful karmic results and lower rebirth.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader setting is Revā Khaṇḍa, connected with the sanctity of Revā (Narmadā) region, though this verse itself teaches general dharma rather than praising a single tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific ritual is prescribed here; the focus is ethical restraint in commerce and conduct.