Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

वेदविक्रयिणे चैव यस्य चोपपतिर्गृहे । स्त्रीनिर्जिते च यद्दत्तं वृथादानानि षोडश

Transliteration

vedavikrayiṇe caiva yasya copapatirgṛhe | strīnirjite ca yaddattaṃ vṛthādānāni ṣoḍaśa

Translation

വേദം വിൽക്കുന്നവന്, വീട്ടിൽ ഉപപതി (പരപുരുഷൻ) ഉള്ളവന്, കാമവശനായി സ്ത്രീയുടെ അധീനനായവന് നൽകിയ ദാനങ്ങൾ—ഇവയും മറ്റുള്ളവയും ചേർത്ത് ‘വ്യർത്ഥദാനങ്ങൾ’ പതിനാറെന്ന് പറയപ്പെടുന്നു.

Word by Word

• वेदविक्रयिणे: to the seller of the Veda
• वेदविक्रयिणे: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेद + विक्रयिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; वेदस्य विक्रयः करोति इति (वेद-विक्रयिन्)

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

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• यस्य: whose
• यस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

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

• उपपतिः: a paramour (illicit partner)
• उपपतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपपति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• गृहे: in the house
• गृहे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• स्त्रीनिर्जिते: in (a case) conquered by a woman
• स्त्रीनिर्जिते: Adhikarana (Condition/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्त्री + निर्जित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √जि (धातु) + नि + क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; स्त्रिया निर्जिते (by a woman conquered/overpowered)

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

• यत्: whatever (that)
• यत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), एकवचन

• दत्तम्: given
• दत्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दत्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √दा (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), एकवचन; कर्मणि भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle)

• वृथा: in vain
• वृथा: Sambandha (Qualifier/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वृथा (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• दानानि: gifts/charities
• दानानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• षोडश: sixteen
• षोडश: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: षोडश (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् संख्याशब्दः; प्रथमा बहुवचनार्थे (numeral used adjectivally)

Speaker

Deductive (Prabhāsakṣetramāhātmya narrative voice; likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa reporting a teaching)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A symbolic triad: (1) a man weighing palm-leaf Veda manuscripts against coins (vedavikraya), (2) a household doorway with a shadowy adulterer figure tolerated inside, (3) a man pulled by a red ribbon of desire—while a pilgrim at Prabhāsa turns away, holding a pure offering.

Characters & Entities

• Veda

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred giving must not support the commercialization of dharma or morally corrupt households; otherwise merit is lost.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The instruction belongs to the Prabhāsakṣetra-māhātmya, where pilgrimage is paired with ethical living.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A classification: certain donations are labeled vṛthā (ineffective), culminating in a set of sixteen such cases.