Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 74

Devanagari script

पण्यानां शतसंख्यानां व्यवहारनिदर्शिनः । ब्रह्मोत्तराणि तन्वंति वणिजो लाभकांक्षिणः

Transliteration

paṇyānāṃ śatasaṃkhyānāṃ vyavahāranidarśinaḥ | brahmottarāṇi tanvaṃti vaṇijo lābhakāṃkṣiṇaḥ

Translation

ലാഭം ആഗ്രഹിക്കുന്ന, ഇടപാടുകളിൽ നിപുണരായ വണിക്കർ നൂറുകണക്കിന് പണ്യങ്ങളിൽ വ്യാപാരം വ്യാപിപ്പിക്കുന്നു; എങ്കിലും ബ്രാഹ്മണർക്കു മുൻതൂക്കം നൽകി നൽകേണ്ട ഭാഗം (ബ്രഹ്മോത്തര) യഥാവിധി സ്ഥാപിക്കുന്നു।

Word by Word

• पण्यानाम्: of commodities/wares
• पण्यानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• शत-संख्यानाम्: of hundredfold numbers (i.e., hundreds)
• शत-संख्यानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शत (प्रातिपदिक) + संख्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (शतेन संख्या) / संख्याविशेषणम्

• व्यवहार-निदर्शिनः: showing/indicating transactions
• व्यवहार-निदर्शिनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: व्यवहार (प्रातिपदिक) + निदर्शिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (व्यवहारस्य निदर्शिनः); विशेषणम्

• ब्रह्म-उत्तराणि: brahma-uttara shares/portions (allocations with a Brahmin’s due)
• ब्रह्म-उत्तराणि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (ब्रह्मोत्तर = ब्राह्मणोत्तर/ब्राह्मण-भाग-प्रधान); कर्मपदम्

• तन्वन्ति: they extend/arrange
• तन्वन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तन् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• वणिजः: merchants
• वणिजः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वणिज् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• लाभ-काङ्क्षिणः: desiring profit
• लाभ-काङ्क्षिणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लाभ (प्रातिपदिक) + काङ्क्षिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (लाभस्य काङ्क्षिणः); विशेषणम्

Speaker

Soma

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Māhātmya audience (pilgrims, householders, patrons)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A bustling sacred bazaar near the temple: merchants display hundreds of goods; scribes record transactions; yet a prominent scene shows merchants first setting aside ‘brahmottara’—gifts and dues for Brāhmaṇas/temple—before counting profit.

Characters & Entities

• Soma
• Vaṇij (merchants)
• Brahma/Brāhmaṇa (context of brahmottara)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even commerce is to be dharma-aligned—profit pursued without neglecting sacred obligations and due honor/support to dharma-bearers.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, presented as a flourishing sacred city with extensive trade.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicitly, maintaining brahmottara—ensuring priority/dues connected to brāhmaṇas and dharma—within economic life.