Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 83

Devanagari script

मध्ययोर्वृषलोपान्ते राज्यहारे च सूतके । दशाष्टकासु भूतायां श्राद्धाहे प्रतिपद्यपि

Transliteration

madhyayorvṛṣalopānte rājyahāre ca sūtake | daśāṣṭakāsu bhūtāyāṃ śrāddhāhe pratipadyapi

Translation

في أوقات الوصل بين النهارين (السندهيا sandhyā)، وعند انقضاء مخالطة المنبوذ، وعند ذهاب المُلك، وفي نجاسة الولادة أو الوفاة؛ وكذلك في اليومين الثامن والعاشر، وفي يوم «بهوتا» (Bhūtā) غير الميمون، وفي أيام شرادها (śrāddha) لأسلاف الآباء، وحتى في براتيپدا (pratipadā) أول يوم قمري—فهذه مواطن يُعلَّق فيها درسُ النصوص المقدسة.

Word by Word

• मध्ययोः: of the two middle (periods)
• मध्ययोः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), द्विवचन; ‘मध्य’ = middle; ‘मध्ययोः’ = of the two middles (i.e., in the middle two days/parts)

• वृषलोपान्ते: at the end of the loss of the bull (i.e., when the bull is lost)
• वृषलोपान्ते: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृषलोप + अन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः—वृषस्य लोपः = वृषलोपः, तस्य अन्तः = वृषलोपान्तः; ‘-e’ = locative

• राज्यहारे: in the seizure/loss of the kingdom
• राज्यहारे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राज्य + हार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः—राज्यस्य हारः = राज्यहारः; ‘-e’ = locative

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• सूतके: during the impurity period (sūtaka)
• सूतके: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूतक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; ‘सूतक’ = impurity period (birth/death)

• दशाष्टकासु: in the ten aṣṭakā-days/rites
• दशाष्टकासु: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दश + अष्टका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), बहुवचन; द्विगु-समासः—दश अष्टकाः = दशाष्टकाः (ten ‘aṣṭakā’ days/rites); ‘-su’ = locative plural

• भूतायाम्: on the Bhūtā (day/occasion)
• भूतायाम्: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; ‘भूता’ (as a named day/occasion)

• श्राद्धाहे: on the day of śrāddha
• श्राद्धाहे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध + अहन्/अह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः—श्राद्धस्य अहः = श्राद्धाहः; ‘-e’ = locative

• प्रतिपदि: on the pratipad (1st lunar day)
• प्रतिपदि: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रतिपद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; ‘प्रतिपद्’ = lunar first day; ‘-i’ = locative

• अपि: also/even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्भावना/अपि-कारक-अव्यय (particle: also/even)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced from Purāṇic recital setting within Brāhma/Brahmakhaṇḍa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A brahmacārin with a palm-leaf manuscript closes his text at twilight; nearby a household performs śrāddha offerings, while a symbolic calendar wheel marks tithis and impurity periods.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma includes restraint: sacred learning is honored by observing purity, proper timing, and social-ritual boundaries.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse is primarily a dharma injunction within Dharmāraṇya; it does not directly glorify a named tīrtha in the given line.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It lists anadhyāya occasions—times like sūtaka, śrāddha days, and certain tithis—when scriptural study should be paused.