Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 47

Devanagari script

सोमविक्रयणे विष्ठा भेषजे पूयशोणितम् । नष्टं देवलके दानं ह्यप्रतिष्ठं च वार्धुके

Transliteration

somavikrayaṇe viṣṭhā bheṣaje pūyaśoṇitam | naṣṭaṃ devalake dānaṃ hyapratiṣṭhaṃ ca vārdhuke

Translation

சோமத்தை விற்பதில் மலத்திற்குச் சமமான பாவம் உண்டு; மருந்து வாணிபத்தில் புழுவும் இரத்தமும் போன்ற பாவம் உண்டு. தேவலகனுக்குக் கொடுத்த தானம் வீணாகும்; வட்டிக்காரனுக்குக் கொடுத்தது மதிப்பில்லாமல் பயனற்றதாகும்।

Word by Word

• सोमविक्रयणे: in the selling of Soma
• सोमविक्रयणे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सोम + विक्रयण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (‘सोमस्य विक्रयणम्’)

• विष्ठा: feces
• विष्ठा: Karta (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्ठा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• भेषजे: in medicine
• भेषजे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भेषज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• पूयशोणितम्: pus and blood
• पूयशोणितम्: Karta (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूय + शोणित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः (pus and blood)

• नष्टम्: lost, ruined
• नष्टम्: Karta (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नष्ट (कृदन्त; नश् धातु)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त/क्त (past passive participle)

• देवलके: in/with a devalaka (temple-priest for hire)
• देवलके: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवलक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• दानम्: gift, donation
• दानम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• हि: indeed, for
• हि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चय/कारणबोधक-अव्यय (indeed/for)

• अप्रतिष्ठम्: without merit/ineffective
• अप्रतिष्ठम्: Karta (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अप्रतिष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; नञ्-समास (without standing/fruit)

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

• वार्धुके: in/with a usurer (money-lender)
• वार्धुके: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वार्धुक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) speaking in the Prabhāsa-kṣetra narrative context

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A moral allegory: on one side, a merchant weighing Soma with a scale, depicted with symbolic impurity; on another, a physician’s shop with red-stained cloth; below, a pilgrim offering gifts that dissolve into dust when handed to a devalaka and a moneylender counting coins.

Characters & Entities

• Soma

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma judges both livelihood and the recipient of charity; wrong trades and unworthy recipients can nullify merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, where the māhātmya includes sharp ethical instruction about dāna and conduct.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Choose dāna-pātras carefully: gifts to a devalaka are said to be wasted, and gifts to a usurer are called apratiṣṭha (without spiritual establishment).