Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 55

Devanagari script

सत्यानृतं च वाणिज्यं तेन चैवोपजीव्यते । सेवा श्ववृत्तिराख्याता तस्मात्तां परिवर्जयेत

Transliteration

satyānṛtaṃ ca vāṇijyaṃ tena caivopajīvyate | sevā śvavṛttirākhyātā tasmāttāṃ parivarjayeta

Translation

വാണിജ്യം ‘സത്യാനൃതം’ എന്നു വിളിക്കപ്പെടുന്നു; അതിലൂടെ ജീവിക്കാം. എന്നാൽ പരാധീന സേവനം ‘ശ്വവൃത്തി’ എന്നു പ്രസിദ്ധം; അതിനാൽ അത് ഒഴിവാക്കണം.

Word by Word

• सत्यानृतम्: truth and falsehood (mixed)
• सत्यानृतम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्य (प्रातिपदिक) + अनृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; द्वन्द्वसमासः—‘सत्यं च अनृतं च’ (truth and untruth)

• च: and
• च: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

• वाणिज्यम्: trade; commerce
• वाणिज्यम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाणिज्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; व्यापारः (trade)

• तेन: by that; through that
• तेन: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• च: and
• च: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक-निपात

• एव: indeed; only
• एव: Emphasis (अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारणार्थक-निपात (emphatic particle)

• उपजीव्यते: is subsisted upon; is lived by
• उपजीव्यते: Kriyā (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप-√जीव् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि प्रयोगः—‘is lived upon/one subsists’

• सेवा: service
• सेवा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सेवा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; परिचर्या (service)

• श्ववृत्तिः: a dog-like livelihood
• श्ववृत्तिः: Predicate nominative (विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्वन् (प्रातिपदिक) + वृत्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः—‘श्वस्य वृत्तिः’ (a dog’s livelihood; contemptible living)

• आख्याता: is called; is termed
• आख्याता: Predicate adjective (विधेयविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ-√ख्या (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; भूतकर्मणि—‘called/declared’

• तस्मात्: therefore; from that reason
• तस्मात्: Hetu/Source marker (अपादानार्थ)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाववत्; पञ्चमी-अर्थे अव्यय (ablatival adverb)

• ताम्: that (service)
• ताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• परिवर्जयेत: should avoid; should shun
• परिवर्जयेत: Kriyā (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि-√वृज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; विधि—‘should avoid’

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A bustling coastal market near a temple town: merchants weighing goods; a dharma-teacher points to honest scales while a figure in servile posture is contrasted with an upright trader; the word ‘śvavṛtti’ is symbolized by a dog near a chained servant.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma values independence and purity of conduct; servile dependence is condemned as degrading.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra is the contextual sacred landscape where such dharma-instructions are emphasized.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A social-dharma prescription: avoid sevā/śvavṛtti; trade may be used for livelihood when appropriate.