Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 27

Devanagari script

वेदानुयोगाद्यो दद्याद्ब्राह्मणाय प्रतिग्रहम् । स पूर्वं नरकं याति ब्राह्मणस्तदनन्तरम्

Transliteration

vedānuyogādyo dadyādbrāhmaṇāya pratigraham | sa pūrvaṃ narakaṃ yāti brāhmaṇastadanantaram

Translation

വേദപ്രയോഗത്തിനുള്ള പ്രതിഫലമായി (ഇടപാടായി) ബ്രാഹ്മണന് ദാനം നൽകുന്നവൻ ആദ്യം നരകത്തിലേക്ക് പോകുന്നു; അത് സ്വീകരിക്കുന്ന ബ്രാഹ്മണൻ പിന്നീടു പോകുന്നു।

Word by Word

• वेदानुयोगात्: because of (in connection with) Vedic recitation/teaching
• वेदानुयोगात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेद (प्रातिपदिक) + अनुयोग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (हेतु/अपादान), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (वेदस्य अनुयोगः) (masculine, ablative, singular)

• यः: who (he who)
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (relative pronoun; masculine, nominative, singular)

• दद्यात्: should give
• दद्यात्: Kriyā (Predicate action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद (optative, 3rd person singular)

• ब्राह्मणाय: to a Brahmin
• ब्राह्मणाय: Sampradāna (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (सम्प्रदान), एकवचन (masculine, dative, singular)

• प्रतिग्रहम्: a fee/gift (acceptance)
• प्रतिग्रहम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रतिग्रह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन (masculine, accusative, singular)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (demonstrative pronoun; masculine, nominative, singular)

• पूर्वम्: first
• पूर्वम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Temporal adverb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb: first/before)

• नरकम्: hell
• नरकम्: Gati/Karma (Goal)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नरक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म/गति), एकवचन (neuter, accusative, singular)

• याति: goes
• याति: Kriyā (Predicate action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद (present, 3rd person singular)

• ब्राह्मणः: the Brahmin
• ब्राह्मणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (masculine, nominative, singular)

• तदनन्तरम्: thereafter
• तदनन्तरम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Temporal adverb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + अनन्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; अव्यय (adverb: thereafter)

Speaker

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

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A patron offers a pouch of coins labeled as payment for Vedic recitation; a brāhmaṇa reaches to accept; between them a dark path opens downward symbolizing naraka, while a sage points in warning.

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇa
• Naraka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Both the payer and the receiver are blamed when sacred services become a commercial contract rather than dharmic support.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa Kṣetra is the textual setting; the warning supports the purity expected in a tīrtha culture.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Guidance about dāna: do not frame gifts as a price for Vedic engagement; avoid transactional ‘fees’ for sacred acts.