Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 41

Devanagari script

वेदविक्रयकर्तॄणां यत्पापं संप्रजायते । तेन पापेन लिप्यामि यद्यहं नागमे पुनः

Transliteration

vedavikrayakartṝṇāṃ yatpāpaṃ saṃprajāyate | tena pāpena lipyāmi yadyahaṃ nāgame punaḥ

Translation

หากข้าพเจ้าไม่กลับมาอีก ขอให้ข้าพเจ้าถูกเปื้อนด้วยบาปที่ผู้ขายพระเวทต้องรับ—ด้วยบาปนั้นเอง

Word by Word

• वेदविक्रयकर्तॄणाम्: of those who sell the Veda
• वेदविक्रयकर्तॄणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेद-विक्रय-कर्तृ (प्रातिपदिक; वेद + विक्रय + कर्तृ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (वेदविक्रयस्य कर्तारः)

• यत्: which
• यत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; सम्बन्धक-विशेषण

• पापम्: sin
• पापम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• संप्रजायते: arises fully / comes into being
• संप्रजायते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-प्र-जन् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• तेन: by that
• तेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• पापेन: by (that) sin
• पापेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• लिप्यामि: I become tainted
• लिप्यामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लिप् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• यदि: if
• यदि: Sambandha (Clause linker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; शर्तार्थक-निपात

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation marker/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध-निपात

• आगमे: I came / I would come
• आगमे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-गम् (धातु)
• Form: लुङ् (Aorist), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद; सन्धि-विच्छेदः: न + आगमे

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण

Speaker

Unspecified (contextual vow/utterance within Arbuda Khaṇḍa narration; likely a pilgrim or narrator-voice within the māhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Arbuda-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A teacher and student scene near a tīrtha: the Veda is shown as radiant palm-leaf manuscripts emitting light. A merchant-like figure offers coins, but the teacher refuses. The pilgrim’s vow overlays the scene: breaking the return pledge equals the sin of selling Veda.

Characters & Entities

• Arbuda (Mount Abu region)
• Veda

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred knowledge is not a commodity; the verse pairs reverence for dharma with steadfastness toward the tīrtha through a solemn vow.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Arbuda-kṣetra is glorified as a place where dharmic integrity is affirmed through vows.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is described; the emphasis is ethical (non-commercialization of the sacred) and devotional (returning to the tīrtha).