Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

गायत्रीसारमात्रोऽपि वरं विप्रः सुयन्त्रितः । नायन्त्रितश्चतुर्वेदी सर्वाशी सर्वविक्रयी

Transliteration

gāyatrīsāramātro'pi varaṃ vipraḥ suyantritaḥ | nāyantritaścaturvedī sarvāśī sarvavikrayī

Translation

พราหมณ์ผู้มีวินัย แม้รู้เพียงแก่นแห่งคายตรี ก็ประเสริฐกว่า ผู้รู้พระเวททั้งสี่แต่ไร้การสำรวม ผู้กินได้ทุกอย่างและขายได้ทุกอย่าง

Word by Word

• गायत्री-सार-मात्रः: one who has only the essence of Gāyatrī (i.e., knows/holds it)
• गायत्री-सार-मात्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गायत्री (प्रातिपदिक) + सार (प्रातिपदिक) + मात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (गायत्र्याः सारः; तस्य मात्रः = केवलः)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अपि (even/also)

• वरम्: better/superior
• वरम्: Prayojana (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (predicative)

• विप्रः: a brāhmaṇa
• विप्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• सु-यन्त्रितः: well-disciplined
• सु-यन्त्रितः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + यन्त्रित (कृदन्त; यन्त्र्/यम् धातु-सम्बद्ध + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारय (सु + यन्त्रितः); ‘well-restrained/controlled’

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation)

• अयन्त्रितः: undisciplined
• अयन्त्रितः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ (नञ्) + यन्त्रित (कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; नञ्-समास/नकारार्थ; ‘unrestrained’

• चतुर्वेदी: knower of the four Vedas
• चतुर्वेदी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुर् (संख्या) + वेदिन्/वेदी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (चतुर्णां वेदानां वेदी)

• सर्वाशी: eating everything (indiscriminately)
• सर्वाशी: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + आशिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (सर्वम् अश्नाति इति)

• सर्वविक्रयी: selling everything (mercenary)
• सर्वविक्रयी: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + विक्रयिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (सर्वं विक्रीणाति इति)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Contrast tableau: on one side, a calm, restrained brāhmaṇa doing simple japa with a small manuscript; on the other, a lavishly dressed scholar surrounded by scrolls, eating indiscriminately and trading goods—showing moral inversion.

Characters & Entities

• Gāyatrī
• Caturveda

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Inner restraint and integrity outweigh mere scriptural erudition; dharma is proved by conduct.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tirtha is named; the verse is ethical instruction within the Revā Khaṇḍa teaching sequence.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicitly: cultivate disciplined practice centered on Gāyatrī rather than relying on status or broad learning without self-control.