Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 68

Devanagari script

ग्रासमात्रसमानाभिर्गुटिकाभिरथाष्टभिः । कन्दमूलफलोत्थाभिर्गुटिकास्ते द्विजातयः

Transliteration

grāsamātrasamānābhirguṭikābhirathāṣṭabhiḥ | kandamūlaphalotthābhirguṭikāste dvijātayaḥ

Translation

الـ«دْوِجَا» (ثنائيو الميلاد) الذين يحيون على ثماني كُرَيّات صغيرة، كلّ واحدة بقدر لقمة واحدة، مصنوعة من الجذور والدرنات والثمار—يُسمَّون ممارسي «غوتيكا» (Guṭikā).

Word by Word

• grāsa-mātra-samānābhiḥ: with (pellets) equal to a mouthful in measure
• grāsa-mātra-samānābhiḥ: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: grāsa (प्रातिपदिक) + mātra (प्रातिपदिक) + samāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण/3rd), बहुवचन; विशेषणम्—guṭikābhiḥ इति विशेष्यस्य

• guṭikābhiḥ: with pellets/boluses
• guṭikābhiḥ: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: guṭikā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन

• atha: and/then
• atha: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुक्रम/समुच्चयार्थक (then/and)

• aṣṭabhiḥ: with eight
• aṣṭabhiḥ: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: aṣṭan (संख्याशब्द-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग (प्रयोगे), तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; संख्याविशेषणम्—guṭikābhiḥ इत्यस्य

• kanda-mūla-phala-utthābhiḥ: with (pellets) made from tubers, roots, and fruits
• kanda-mūla-phala-utthābhiḥ: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kanda (प्रातिपदिक) + mūla (प्रातिपदिक) + phala (प्रातिपदिक) + uttha (कृदन्त; √sthā/ut+√sthā? ‘utthā’ as adjectival stem meaning ‘arisen from’)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; विशेषणम्—guṭikābhiḥ इति विशेष्यस्य

• guṭikāḥ: pellets/boluses
• guṭikāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: guṭikā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• te: those
• te: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• dvijātayaḥ: the twice-born (Brahmins etc.)
• dvijātayaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvijāti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

Speaker

Sūta (deduced, Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa narrative style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: sages

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A group of twice-born sādhakas in Prabhāsa prepare small pellets from roots and fruits, counting eight portions with care; they eat quietly, seated on mats, with a sense of measured discipline.

Characters & Entities

• Prabhāsakṣetra
• dvijāti
• Guṭikā-sādhaka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Regulated, minimal, and sāttvic sustenance is upheld as a means to stabilize mind and dharma in a sacred place.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsakṣetra, as a residence of vow-observers and disciplined dvijas.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A measured diet: eight mouthful-sized pellets made from kandas (tubers), mūlas (roots), and fruits.