Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 110

Devanagari script

व्यास उवाच । न जैनधर्मे ये लिप्ता गोभुजा वणिगुत्तमाः । वृत्तिभंगभयात्तत्र मौनमेव समाचरन्

Transliteration

vyāsa uvāca | na jainadharme ye liptā gobhujā vaṇiguttamāḥ | vṛttibhaṃgabhayāttatra maunameva samācaran

Translation

ବ୍ୟାସଦେବ କହିଲେ: ଯେଉଁ ଶ୍ରେଷ୍ଠ ବଣିକମାନେ (ଗୋଭୁଜ) ଜୈନ ଧର୍ମରେ ଲିପ୍ତ ନଥିଲେ, ସେମାନେ ମଧ୍ୟ ଜୀବିକା ଭଙ୍ଗ ହେବା ଭୟରେ ସେଠାରେ ମୌନ ଧାରଣ କଲେ।

Word by Word

• व्यासः: Vyāsa
• व्यासः: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्यास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Speech act/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect/परोक्षभूत), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Modifier (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negative particle)

• जैनधर्मे: in the Jaina religion
• जैनधर्मे: Adhikarana (Domain/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जैन (प्रातिपदिक) + धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष (‘जैनः धर्मः’); पुंलिङ्गे, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन

• ये: who (those who)
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• लिप्ताः: engaged/tainted
• लिप्ताः: Modifier (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लिप् (धातु) + क्त (कृत्)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), ‘smeared/attached/engaged’; पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• गोभुजाः: cow-eaters
• गोभुजाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो (प्रातिपदिक) + भुज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उपपद-तत्पुरुष (‘गोः भुजः’ = cow-eater); पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• वणिगुत्तमाः: excellent merchants
• वणिगुत्तमाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वणिज् (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय (‘उत्तमाः वणिजः’); पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• वृत्तिभंगभयात्: from fear of livelihood-breakdown
• वृत्तिभंगभयात्: Hetu/Reason (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृत्ति (प्रातिपदिक) + भंग (प्रातिपदिक) + भय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष-श्रृंखला (‘वृत्तेः भंगः’ + ‘तस्य भयम्’); नपुंसकलिङ्गे/पुंलिङ्गे (भय-शब्दः नपुंसक), पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• मौनम्: silence
• मौनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मौन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• एव: only/indeed
• एव: Emphasis (अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्यय (restrictive particle)

• समाचरन्: they practiced/observed
• समाचरन्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-चर् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/Past), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन

Speaker

Vyāsa

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dharmāraṇyaka

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Vyāsa narrates as merchants stand with downcast eyes in an assembly or marketplace, choosing silence while a dominant religious faction exerts pressure; the atmosphere is tense but controlled.

Characters & Entities

• Vyāsa
• Jainadharma
• Vaṇij

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Fear for worldly security can suppress truthful speech; the verse highlights the tension between dharma and livelihood.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; it is a narrative remark within the Dharmāraṇya section.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Mauna (silence) is mentioned as a practice, but here it is described as compelled by fear rather than prescribed as a vrata.