Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

हत्वा गाश्च वरं मांसं भक्षयीत द्विजाधमः । वरं जीवेत्समं म्लेच्छैर्न कुर्याद्वेदविक्रयम्

Transliteration

hatvā gāśca varaṃ māṃsaṃ bhakṣayīta dvijādhamaḥ | varaṃ jīvetsamaṃ mlecchairna kuryādvedavikrayam

Translation

Même un « deux-fois-né » misérable — mieux vaudrait qu’il tue des vaches et en mange la chair ; mieux vaudrait qu’il vive à l’égal des mlecchas — plutôt que de commettre la vente du Veda.

Word by Word

• हत्वा: having killed
• हत्वा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (absolutive/gerund), पूर्वकाल (prior action)

• गाः: cows
• गाः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), बहुवचन (feminine, accusative, plural)

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

• वरम्: better (rather)
• वरम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (preferably/better)

• मांसम्: meat
• मांसम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मांस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन (neuter, accusative, singular)

• भक्षयीत: should eat
• भक्षयीत: Kriyā (Predicate action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद (optative, 3rd person singular, parasmaipada)

• द्विजाधमः: the lowest of the twice-born
• द्विजाधमः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक) + अधम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (कर्ता), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (द्विजानाम् अधमः) (masculine, nominative, singular)

• वरम्: better (rather)
• वरम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (preferably/better)

• जीवेत्: should live
• जीवेत्: Kriyā (Predicate action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जीव् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद (optative, 3rd person singular)

• समम्: equally, on equal terms
• समम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणवत् (adverbial accusative: 'equally')

• म्लेच्छैः: with barbarians (mlecchas)
• म्लेच्छैः: Sahakāraka (Association/सह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: म्लेच्छ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण/सह), बहुवचन (masculine, instrumental, plural)

• न: not
• न: Pratiṣedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय (negation particle)

• कुर्यात्: should do
• कुर्यात्: Kriyā (Predicate action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद (optative, 3rd person singular)

• वेदविक्रयम्: sale of the Veda
• वेदविक्रयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेद (प्रातिपदिक) + विक्रय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (वेदस्य विक्रयः) (masculine, accusative, singular)

Speaker

Unknown (within Prabhāsakṣetramāhātmya dialogue; addressed to ‘Devi’)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A stark moral tableau: on one side, taboo acts depicted as dark possibilities; on the other, the central forbidden act—selling the Veda—shown as the darkest, with the teacher refusing coins while the other scenes fade like warnings.

Characters & Entities

• Devī
• Gāḥ (cows)
• Mleccha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Selling the Veda is portrayed as a moral collapse worse than other shocking transgressions, emphasizing the sanctity of revelation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa Kṣetra is the narrative frame; the verse teaches dharma expected of pilgrims and residents in sacred lands.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a forceful ethical warning against veda-vikraya.