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Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 29

नीलीकर्म तु यः कुर्य्याद्ब्राह्मणो लोभमोहितः । नाप्नोति सुकृतं किंचित्कुर्य्याद्वा रसविक्रयम्

nīlīkarma tu yaḥ kuryyādbrāhmaṇo lobhamohitaḥ | nāpnoti sukṛtaṃ kiṃcitkuryyādvā rasavikrayam

Wenn aber ein Brāhmaṇa, von Gier verblendet, das „nīlī-karma“ vollzieht, erlangt er keinerlei Verdienst; ebenso, wenn er „rasa“ (Säfte/Waren) als Handel verkauft.

नीलीकर्मblue-dyeing work (indigo work)
नीलीकर्म:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootनीली-कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (नील्याः/नीलीसम्बन्धि कर्म)
तुbut/indeed
तु:
Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतु (अव्यय)
Formनिपात (particle); विरोध/विशेषार्थे
यःwho (he who)
यः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootयद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; सम्बन्धबोधकः (relative pronoun)
कुर्यात्should do / does
कुर्यात्:
Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootकृ (धातु)
Formविधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन
ब्राह्मणःa Brahmin
ब्राह्मणः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन
लोभमोहितःdeluded by greed
लोभमोहितः:
Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootलोभ-मोहित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; समास)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त), ‘मुह्/मोह्’ धातोः; तत्पुरुषः (लोभेन मोहितः)
not
:
Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootन (अव्यय)
Formनिषेध-निपात (negation)
आप्नोतिattains
आप्नोति:
Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootआप् (धातु)
Formलट् (present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन
सुकृतम्merit
सुकृतम्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootसुकृत (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन
किंचित्any (at all)
किंचित्:
Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootकिंचित् (सर्वनाम/अव्ययप्राय)
Formअव्यय (indefinite particle/adverb)
कुर्यात्should do / does
कुर्यात्:
Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootकृ (धातु)
Formविधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन
वाor
वा:
Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootवा (अव्यय)
Formविकल्पार्थक-निपात (disjunctive)
रसविक्रयम्sale of rasa (liquid/juice; possibly intoxicant)
रसविक्रयम्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootरस-विक्रय (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (रसस्य विक्रयः)

Skanda (deduced from Dvārakā Māhātmya narration style within Skanda Purāṇa)

Scene: A brāhmaṇa tempted by coins performs a darkly hinted ‘nīlī-karma’ while a luminous stream of merit fades; beside him, a marketplace scene shows ‘rasa’ being sold, contrasted with an ideal brāhmaṇa teaching or performing pūjā.

B
Brāhmaṇa
L
Lobha (greed)
N
Nīlī-karma
R
Rasa-vikraya

FAQs

Greed-driven, censured actions nullify spiritual merit—especially when done by one expected to uphold brāhmaṇical dharma.

No single site is praised; the verse is a conduct-warning within the Māhātmya’s dharmic framework.

A behavioral injunction by negation: avoid nīlī-karma and avoid improper commerce (rasa-vikraya), as they destroy merit.