Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 49

Devanagari script

यज्ञारामतडागादिदारापत्यस्य विक्रयः । तीर्थयात्रोपवासानां व्रतायतनकर्मणाम्

Transliteration

yajñārāmataḍāgādidārāpatyasya vikrayaḥ | tīrthayātropavāsānāṃ vratāyatanakarmaṇām

Translation

Der Verkauf von Opfergärten, Teichen und dergleichen, ja sogar von Frau und Kindern; und das gewinnsüchtige Ausschlachten von Pilgerfahrten zu Tīrthas, Fasten (upavāsa) sowie Handlungen, die mit Gelübden (vrata) und ihren heiligen Stätten verbunden sind — all dies wird zu den getadelten Verhaltensweisen gezählt.

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.