Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 26

Devanagari script

फलंते नैव वृक्षाश्च कदाचिदपि भारत । कन्याविक्रय कर्त्तारो गोजाविक्रयकारकाः

Transliteration

phalaṃte naiva vṛkṣāśca kadācidapi bhārata | kanyāvikraya karttāro gojāvikrayakārakāḥ

Translation

ஓ பாரதா, சில வேளைகளில் மரங்கள் கனியே தரமாட்டா. மேலும் கன்னியரை விற்கும்வரும், பசுக்களையும் குழந்தைகளையும் கூட விற்கும்வரும் இருப்பர்.

Word by Word

• फलन्ते: bear fruit
• फलन्ते: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: फल् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः, प्रथमपुरुषः, बहुवचनम्; आत्मनेपदम्

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपातः

• एव: indeed/at all
• एव: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-निपातः (emphasis)

• वृक्षाः: trees
• वृक्षाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-निपातः (conjunction)

• कदाचित्: ever, at any time
• कदाचित्: Kala-adhikarana (कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कदाचित् (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्ययम् (adverb of time)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपातः (even)

• भारत: O Bhārata
• भारत: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भारत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, सम्बोधन-विभक्तिः (Vocative), एकवचनम्

• कन्याविक्रयकर्तारः: those who sell daughters (arrange sale)
• कन्याविक्रयकर्तारः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कन्या (प्रातिपदिक) + विक्रय (प्रातिपदिक) + कर्तृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (कन्यायाः विक्रयस्य कर्तारः)

• गोजाविक्रयकारकाः: dealers who cause the sale of cows and goats
• गोजाविक्रयकारकाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो (प्रातिपदिक) + ज (प्रातिपदिक) + विक्रय (प्रातिपदिक) + कारक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; तत्पुरुषः (गो-ज-विक्रयस्य कारकाः/कर्तारः)

Speaker

Sūta (deduced; vocative ‘bhārata’ suggests addressing a Bharata-descendant listener; exact speaker not in snippet)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Bhārata (addressed)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A barren grove with leafless or fruitless trees; a distressed mother and child near a marketplace where shadowy traders bargain; a sage raises a hand in prohibition, embodying dharma’s protest.

Characters & Entities

• Bhārata

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Adharma leads to exploitation of the vulnerable and disharmony in nature; dharma protects dependents and honors life as sacred.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is glorified in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse is a moral condemnation and a Kali-yuga portent.