Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 68

Devanagari script

शूद्रस्तु षष्ठकालाशी यथाशक्त्या तपश्चरेत् । न दर्भानुद्धरेच्छूद्रो न पिबेत्कापिलं पयः

Transliteration

śūdrastu ṣaṣṭhakālāśī yathāśaktyā tapaścaret | na darbhānuddharecchūdro na pibetkāpilaṃ payaḥ

Translation

لكن على الشودرَة أن يمارس التَّقشُّف بحسب طاقته، آكلًا في «الزمن السادس». ولا ينبغي للشودرَة أن يقتلع عشب الدَّربها، ولا أن يشرب لبن بقرةٍ كَبِيلَا ذات لونٍ أشقر مائلٍ للبني.

Word by Word

• शूद्रः: a Śūdra
• शूद्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शूद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तु: indeed
• तु: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विशेषार्थक-अव्यय (indeed/but)

• षष्ठकालाशी: one who eats at the sixth time
• षष्ठकालाशी: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: षष्ठकाल-आशी (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठकाले अश्नातीति (one who eats at the sixth time) — शूद्रः इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• यथाशक्त्या: according to (his) capacity
• यथाशक्त्या: Prakara (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा-शक्ति (प्रातिपदिक; अव्ययीभाव)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; तृतीया-एकवचन-रूपेण अव्ययवत् (adverbial instrumental): ‘according to ability’

• तपः: austerity
• तपः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• चरेत्: should practice
• चरेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: चर् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• न: not
• न: Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negative particle)

• दर्भान्: darbha grasses
• दर्भान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दर्भ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), बहुवचन

• उद्धरेत्: should lift up, pluck
• उद्धरेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उद्-हृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• शूद्रः: a Śūdra
• शूद्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शूद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negative particle)

• पिबेत्: should drink
• पिबेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पा (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• कापिलम्: from a tawny cow (kapilā)
• कापिलम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कापिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; पयः इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• पयः: milk
• पयः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पयस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa Māhātmya narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim at Prabhāsa being instructed: simple fasting, avoiding darbha handling and kapilā cow milk; nearby a ritual area with darbha bundles and a tawny cow kept for offerings.

Characters & Entities

• Śūdra
• darbha
• kapilā (cow)
• payaḥ (milk)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Austerity must be proportionate and guided by dharmic rules; restraint and proper limits are emphasized.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa Kṣetra, where pilgrimage discipline (tīrtha-vidhi) is being outlined.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Guidance on meal-timing during tapas and prohibitions regarding darbha handling and drinking kapilā-cow milk.