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

Der „Verkauf der Veda“ gilt als sechsfältig: das unmittelbare Aussprechen des Honorars, Feilschen/Zusicherung, das Annehmen von Gaben nach vorausgehender Befragung (also unter Bedingungen), das Vollziehen von Opfern gegen Bezahlung, das Lehren gegen Bezahlung und das Streiten (Disputieren) um Gewinn.

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.