Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 68

Devanagari script

प्रमादविघ्नशांत्यर्थं क्षुरिकां च सदा पुमान् । पशुमांसासवैश्चैवमासुरं भावमाश्रिताः

Transliteration

pramādavighnaśāṃtyarthaṃ kṣurikāṃ ca sadā pumān | paśumāṃsāsavaiścaivamāsuraṃ bhāvamāśritāḥ

Translation

Zur Besänftigung von Unachtsamkeit und hindernden Hemmnissen soll ein Mann stets ein kleines Messer bei sich tragen. Doch wer sich an Tierfleisch und berauschende Getränke hält, nimmt eine asurische, dämonische Gesinnung an.

Word by Word

• pramāda-vighna-śānti-artham: for the appeasement of negligence-caused obstacles
• pramāda-vighna-śānti-artham: Prayojana (Purpose/अर्थ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pramāda + vighna + śānti + artha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular; Samāsa: pramādasya vighnasya śānteḥ artham (for the pacification of obstacles arising from negligence)

• kṣurikām: a small knife/dagger
• kṣurikām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṣurikā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Coordinator)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Samuccaya-avyaya (conjunction)

• sadā: always
• sadā: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (Temporal modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sadā (अव्यय)
• Form: Kāla-avyaya (adverb of time)

• pumān: a man
• pumān: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: puman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular

• paśu-māṃsa-asavaiḥ: with animal(-offerings), meat, and liquor
• paśu-māṃsa-asavaiḥ: Karaṇa (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: paśu + māṃsa + āsava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Plural; Dvandva: paśuḥ, māṃsam, āsavaḥ (with animals/meat/liquor)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Coordinator)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Samuccaya-avyaya (conjunction)

• evam: thus/in this way
• evam: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (Manner modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: evam (अव्यय)
• Form: Prakāra-avyaya (adverb of manner)

• āsuram: demonic/asuric
• āsuram: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: āsura (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular; qualifies bhāvam

• bhāvam: state/attitude
• bhāvam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhāva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular

• āśritāḥ: having resorted to / adopting
• āśritāḥ: Kriyā (Predicative action/state)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-√śri (धातु) + kta (क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त), Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural; used predicatively

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva) (deduced from immediate chapter transition context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsakṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim-sādhaka at Prabhāsa keeps a small utility knife at his waist while performing calm worship; in contrast, shadowy figures indulge in meat and liquor, their aura darkening—an ethical warning tableau.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Practical vigilance is allowed, but purity of conduct is emphasized: indulgence in meat and intoxicants is condemned as leading to an āsuric (demonic) mindset.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The instruction appears within the Prabhāsakṣetra Māhātmya, set in the sacred geography of Prabhāsa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A behavioral/ritual caution: keeping a kṣurikā for preventing mishaps/obstacles, and refraining from meat and intoxicants as part of dhārmic discipline.