Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 48

Devanagari script

हत्वा गावो वरं मांसं भक्षयीत द्विजाधमः । वरं जीवन्समं मत्स्यैर्न कुर्याद्वेदविक्रयम् । ब्रह्महत्यासमं पापं न भूतं न भविष्यति

Transliteration

hatvā gāvo varaṃ māṃsaṃ bhakṣayīta dvijādhamaḥ | varaṃ jīvansamaṃ matsyairna kuryādvedavikrayam | brahmahatyāsamaṃ pāpaṃ na bhūtaṃ na bhaviṣyati

Translation

Mieux vaudrait qu’un misérable « deux-fois-né » tue des vaches et mange de la chair ; mieux vaudrait vivre au rang des poissons—que vendre le Véda. Un péché égal à la brahma-hatyā n’a jamais été, et ne sera jamais, (plus grave) que celui-ci.

Word by Word

• hatvā: having killed
• hatvā: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: han (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive), ‘हत्वा’ = having killed

• gāvaḥ: cows
• gāvaḥ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: go (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), बहुवचन; (गाः/गावः—पाठभेदे)

• varam: better (to)
• varam: Sambandha (Preference marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; अव्ययीभाव-प्रयोग (better/rather)

• māṃsam: meat
• māṃsam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: māṃsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन

• bhakṣayīta: should eat
• bhakṣayīta: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhakṣ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• dvija-adhamaḥ: the worst of Brahmins
• dvija-adhamaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvija (प्रातिपदिक) + adhama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (अधमो द्विजः)

• varam: better (to)
• varam: Sambandha (Preference marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; अव्ययीभाव-प्रयोग (rather)

• jīvan-samam: equal to being alive (i.e., living on)
• jīvan-samam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: jīvat (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त) + sama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तृतीया/सह-भावार्थे तत्पुरुषः (जीवता समम् = equal to living)

• matsyaiḥ: with fish
• matsyaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: matsya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), बहुवचन

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय

• kuryāt: should do
• kuryāt: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• veda-vikrayam: sale of the Veda
• veda-vikrayam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: veda (प्रातिपदिक) + vikraya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः

• brahmahatyā-samam: equal to Brahmin-slaying
• brahmahatyā-samam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: brahmahatyā (प्रातिपदिक) + sama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया/प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तृतीया/सह-भावार्थे तत्पुरुषः (ब्रह्महत्यया समम्)

• pāpam: sin
• pāpam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (कर्ता/विधेय), एकवचन

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय

• bhūtam: has existed
• bhūtam: Karta (Predicate/कर्ता-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhūta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; भूतकालवाचक-विशेषण (that has been)

• na: nor
• na: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय

• bhaviṣyati: will be
• bhaviṣyati: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (simple future), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa māhātmya narration style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A stark moral tableau: the text declares that even shocking transgressions are ‘preferable’ to selling the Veda, underscoring the inviolability of śruti. The scene contrasts a brāhmaṇa tempted by coins with the radiant, untouchable Veda as a divine presence.

Characters & Entities

• Veda
• gāvaḥ (cows)
• brahma-hatyā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Commercializing sacred revelation is portrayed as an extreme dharmic downfall, condemned even more strongly than other notorious transgressions.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The warning is framed for tīrtha-context generally, within the Prabhāsa-kṣetra Māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Do not sell Vedic recitation/teaching; it is condemned as a brahma-hatyā-like sin.