Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 26

Devanagari script

वेदाक्षराणि यावन्ति नियुंक्ते स्वार्थकारणात् । तावतीर्भ्रूणहत्या वै प्राप्नुयाद्वेदविक्रयी

Transliteration

vedākṣarāṇi yāvanti niyuṃkte svārthakāraṇāt | tāvatīrbhrūṇahatyā vai prāpnuyādvedavikrayī

Translation

വേദം വിൽക്കുന്നവൻ സ്വാർത്ഥലാഭത്തിനായി എത്ര വേദാക്ഷരങ്ങൾ പ്രയോഗിക്കുന്നുവോ, അത്രയും ഭ്രൂണഹത്യാപാപം അവൻ നിശ്ചയമായി പ്രാപിക്കുന്നു।

Word by Word

• वेदाक्षराणि: Vedic syllables
• वेदाक्षराणि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेद (प्रातिपदिक) + अक्षर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (वेदस्य अक्षराणि) (neuter, nominative/accusative, plural)

• यावन्ति: as many as
• यावन्ति: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यावत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन; परिमाणवाचक (quantitative)

• नियुंक्ते: employs/uses
• नियुंक्ते: Kriyā (Predicate action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि + युज् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद (present, 3rd person singular, ātmanepada)

• स्वार्थकारणात्: from selfish motive
• स्वार्थकारणात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक) + कारण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (अपादान/हेतु), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (स्वार्थस्य कारणम्) (neuter, ablative, singular)

• तावतीः: that many
• तावतीः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तावत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन; परिमाणवाचक (so many)

• भ्रूणहत्याः: foeticide (sins of killing an embryo)
• भ्रूणहत्याः: Karta (Result/फल)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भ्रूण (प्रातिपदिक) + हत्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (भ्रूणस्य हत्या) (feminine, nominative, plural)

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक/उपपादक अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• प्राप्नुयात्: would incur/attain
• प्राप्नुयात्: Kriyā (Predicate action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + आप् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद (optative, 3rd person singular)

• वेदविक्रयी: seller of the Veda
• वेदविक्रयी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेद (प्रातिपदिक) + विक्रयी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (वेदस्य विक्रयी) (masculine, nominative, singular)

Speaker

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

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A solemn dharma-assembly at Prabhāsa: a learned brāhmaṇa recites Vedic syllables while coins are weighed; behind him a shadowy vision of a fetus/embryo symbolizing bhrūṇa-hatyā as the karmic consequence; sages look on with grief.

Characters & Entities

• Devī
• Bhrūṇahatyā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Misusing Vedic speech for profit is karmically devastating; intention corrupts the act and multiplies demerit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader Prabhāsa Kṣetra Māhātmya frames the teaching, linking purity of conduct with the power of sacred places.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A prohibition: do not deploy Vedic syllables/mantras for selfish, transactional purposes.