Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 82

Devanagari script

गोतिलांश्च तुरंगांश्च विक्रेतारं द्विजाधमम् । मातुलान्याः सुरायाश्च विक्रेतारं हलायुध

Transliteration

gotilāṃśca turaṃgāṃśca vikretāraṃ dvijādhamam | mātulānyāḥ surāyāśca vikretāraṃ halāyudha

Translation

ਅਤੇ ਹੇ ਹਲਾਯੁਧ! ਜੋ ਨੀਚ ਬ੍ਰਾਹਮਣ ਗਾਂ, ਤਿਲ ਅਤੇ ਘੋੜੇ ਵੇਚਦਾ ਹੈ, ਉਸ ਨੂੰ (ਦੰਡ ਦਿਓ); ਅਤੇ ਜੋ ਮਦਿਰਾ/ਸੁਰਾ ਵੇਚਦਾ ਹੈ, ਉਸ ਨੂੰ ਵੀ (ਦੰਡ ਦਿਓ)।

Word by Word

• go-tilān: cows and sesame (seeds)
• go-tilān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: go (प्रातिपदिक) + tila (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; द्वन्द्वसमासः (इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः) ‘गवां च तिलान् च’

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• turaṃgān: horses
• turaṃgān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: turaṃga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• vikretāram: the seller
• vikretāram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vikretṛ (प्रातिपदिक, कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिकः from √krī/√vikrī विक्रय ‘to sell’)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• dvija-adhamam: a vile Brahmin
• dvija-adhamam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvija (प्रातिपदिक) + adhama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारयसमासः ‘अधमो द्विजः’

• mātulānyāḥ: of the maternal uncle’s wife (aunt)
• mātulānyāḥ: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mātulānī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन

• surāyāḥ: of liquor
• surāyāḥ: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: surā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• vikretāram: the seller
• vikretāram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vikretṛ (प्रातिपदिक, कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिकः from √krī/√vikrī)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• halāyudha: O Halāyudha (Balarāma)
• halāyudha: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: halāyudha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन; विशेष-नाम (epithet)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; note: vocative 'Halāyudha' appears in verse)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Halāyudha (Balarāma)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A moral court scene: a ‘dvijādhama’ merchant with cows, sesame sacks, and horses is seized by Yama’s attendants; another figure is shown selling liquor; Halāyudha/Balarāma is evoked as the addressed hero-sage figure witnessing the admonition.

Characters & Entities

• Skanda
• Kāśī
• Halāyudha (Balarāma)
• Naraka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Certain trades are portrayed as dharma-violations—especially for the twice-born—because they damage social and spiritual order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kāśī Khaṇḍa context frames the instruction; this verse itself is ethical rather than site-specific.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the focus is on prohibited livelihood and its karmic outcome.