Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 29

Devanagari script

नीलीकर्म तु यः कुर्य्याद्ब्राह्मणो लोभमोहितः । नाप्नोति सुकृतं किंचित्कुर्य्याद्वा रसविक्रयम्

Transliteration

nīlīkarma tu yaḥ kuryyādbrāhmaṇo lobhamohitaḥ | nāpnoti sukṛtaṃ kiṃcitkuryyādvā rasavikrayam

Translation

Nhưng nếu một brāhmaṇa vì lòng tham mà mê muội làm ‘nīlī-karma’ thì chẳng được chút công đức nào; cũng vậy, nếu đem ‘rasa’ (các thứ nước/đồ vị) ra mua bán làm nghề.

Word by Word

• नीलीकर्म: blue-dyeing work (indigo work)
• नीलीकर्म: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नीली-कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (नील्याः/नीलीसम्बन्धि कर्म)

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle); विरोध/विशेषार्थे

• यः: who (he who)
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; सम्बन्धबोधकः (relative pronoun)

• कुर्यात्: should do / does
• कुर्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• ब्राह्मणः: a Brahmin
• ब्राह्मणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• लोभमोहितः: deluded by greed
• लोभमोहितः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लोभ-मोहित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त), ‘मुह्/मोह्’ धातोः; तत्पुरुषः (लोभेन मोहितः)

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

• आप्नोति: attains
• आप्नोति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आप् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• सुकृतम्: merit
• सुकृतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुकृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• किंचित्: any (at all)
• किंचित्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किंचित् (सर्वनाम/अव्ययप्राय)
• Form: अव्यय (indefinite particle/adverb)

• कुर्यात्: should do / does
• कुर्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-निपात (disjunctive)

• रसविक्रयम्: sale of rasa (liquid/juice; possibly intoxicant)
• रसविक्रयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रस-विक्रय (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (रसस्य विक्रयः)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Dvārakā Māhātmya narration style within Skanda Purāṇa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A brāhmaṇa tempted by coins performs a darkly hinted ‘nīlī-karma’ while a luminous stream of merit fades; beside him, a marketplace scene shows ‘rasa’ being sold, contrasted with an ideal brāhmaṇa teaching or performing pūjā.

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇa
• Lobha (greed)
• Nīlī-karma
• Rasa-vikraya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Greed-driven, censured actions nullify spiritual merit—especially when done by one expected to uphold brāhmaṇical dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single site is praised; the verse is a conduct-warning within the Māhātmya’s dharmic framework.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A behavioral injunction by negation: avoid nīlī-karma and avoid improper commerce (rasa-vikraya), as they destroy merit.