Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 67

Devanagari script

षष्ठकालात्परं शूद्रस्तपः कुर्याद्यथा क्वचित् । राष्ट्रहानिस्तदा ज्ञेया राज्ञश्चोपद्रवो महान्

Transliteration

ṣaṣṭhakālātparaṃ śūdrastapaḥ kuryādyathā kvacit | rāṣṭrahānistadā jñeyā rājñaścopadravo mahān

Translation

যদি শূদ্র কোনো অবস্থায় ষষ্ঠ কালের সীমা অতিক্রম করে তপস্যা করে, তবে তা রাজ্যের ক্ষতির লক্ষণ এবং রাজার জন্য মহা উপদ্রব বলে জানতে হবে।

Word by Word

• षष्ठकालात्: after/from the sixth time
• षष्ठकालात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: षष्ठकाल (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative), एकवचन; षष्ठः कालः इति कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुषभावः

• परम्: beyond, after
• परम्: Kaala-adhikarana (Temporal/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययप्रयोग (adverbial accusative): ‘beyond/after’

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

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

• कुर्यात्: should do
• कुर्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• यथा: as, in whatever manner
• यथा: Prakara (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमान/प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (as/how)

• क्वचित्: at any time/anywhere
• क्वचित्: Desha/Kaala-adhikarana (Adverbial/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्वचित् (अव्यय)
• Form: देश/कालवाचक-अव्यय (somewhere/sometime)

• राष्ट्रहानिः: loss of the kingdom/state
• राष्ट्रहानिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राष्ट्र-हानि (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; राष्ट्रस्य हानिः इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kaala-adhikarana (Temporal/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (then)

• ज्ञेया: is to be known (as)
• ज्ञेया: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु) + तव्यत् (कृदन्त)
• Form: कर्तव्य/भाव्यर्थक कृदन्त (gerundive), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; राष्ट्रहानिः इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• राज्ञः: of the king
• राज्ञः: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (and)

• उपद्रवः: calamity, affliction
• उपद्रवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपद्रव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• महान्: great
• महान्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; उपद्रवः इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa Māhātmya narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A cautionary tableau: a pilgrim attempting severe austerity while ominous signs—darkened sky, distressed courtiers—suggest impending trouble for the realm.

Characters & Entities

• Śūdra
• rājā (king)
• rāṣṭra (kingdom)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage and austerity should follow prescribed dharma; disorderly practice is portrayed as socially destabilizing.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa Kṣetra (Prabhāsakṣetra), discussed within its Māhātmya section.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A restriction on undertaking tapas beyond a stated limit (‘ṣaṣṭhakāla’), framed as a dharmic boundary.