Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

वेदविक्रयिणे चैव यस्य चोपपतिर्गृहे । स्त्रीनिर्जिते च यद्दत्तं वृथादानानि षोडश

Transliteration

vedavikrayiṇe caiva yasya copapatirgṛhe | strīnirjite ca yaddattaṃ vṛthādānāni ṣoḍaśa

Translation

Gaben an einen, der die Veden verkauft, an einen Mann, in dessen Haus ein Ehebrecher geduldet wird, oder an einen, der von ungezügelter Begierde beherrscht wird—diese bilden zusammen mit den zuvor genannten die sechzehn „fruchtlosen Spenden“.

Word by Word

• वेदविक्रयिणे: to the seller of the Veda
• वेदविक्रयिणे: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेद + विक्रयिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; वेदस्य विक्रयः करोति इति (वेद-विक्रयिन्)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• यस्य: whose
• यस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• उपपतिः: a paramour (illicit partner)
• उपपतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपपति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• गृहे: in the house
• गृहे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• स्त्रीनिर्जिते: in (a case) conquered by a woman
• स्त्रीनिर्जिते: Adhikarana (Condition/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्त्री + निर्जित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √जि (धातु) + नि + क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; स्त्रिया निर्जिते (by a woman conquered/overpowered)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• यत्: whatever (that)
• यत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), एकवचन

• दत्तम्: given
• दत्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दत्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √दा (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), एकवचन; कर्मणि भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle)

• वृथा: in vain
• वृथा: Sambandha (Qualifier/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वृथा (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• दानानि: gifts/charities
• दानानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• षोडश: sixteen
• षोडश: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: षोडश (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् संख्याशब्दः; प्रथमा बहुवचनार्थे (numeral used adjectivally)

Speaker

Deductive (Prabhāsakṣetramāhātmya narrative voice; likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa reporting a teaching)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A symbolic triad: (1) a man weighing palm-leaf Veda manuscripts against coins (vedavikraya), (2) a household doorway with a shadowy adulterer figure tolerated inside, (3) a man pulled by a red ribbon of desire—while a pilgrim at Prabhāsa turns away, holding a pure offering.

Characters & Entities

• Veda

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred giving must not support the commercialization of dharma or morally corrupt households; otherwise merit is lost.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The instruction belongs to the Prabhāsakṣetra-māhātmya, where pilgrimage is paired with ethical living.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A classification: certain donations are labeled vṛthā (ineffective), culminating in a set of sixteen such cases.