Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

अर्करूपी यतः सूर्यस्तत्र जातो महीतले । तस्मात्त्याज्यः सदा चार्को भोजनेऽत्र न संशयः

Transliteration

arkarūpī yataḥ sūryastatra jāto mahītale | tasmāttyājyaḥ sadā cārko bhojane'tra na saṃśayaḥ

Translation

Da die Sonne in der Gestalt Arkas dort auf Erden erschien, soll man an diesem Ort Arka (die Arka-Pflanze) beim Essen stets meiden—daran besteht kein Zweifel.

Word by Word

• अर्करूपी: having the form of Arka (sun-plant)
• अर्करूपी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अर्क-रूपिन् (प्रातिपदिक; अर्क + रूपिन्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (सूर्यस्य)

• यतः: since/because
• यतः: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कारणार्थक-सम्बन्धबोधक (since/because)

• सूर्यः: the Sun
• सूर्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (locative adverb)

• जातः: was born/arose
• जातः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु) → जात (कृदन्त/क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘जन्म प्राप्तः/उत्पन्नः’

• महीतले: on the surface of the earth
• महीतले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मही-तल (प्रातिपदिक; मही + तल)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तस्मात् इति निपातवत् अव्ययप्रयोगः; अपादानार्थक (therefore/from that reason)

• त्याज्यः: to be avoided
• त्याज्यः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्यज् (धातु) → त्याज्य (कृदन्त/तव्यत्)
• Form: तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (gerundive/obligatory); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (अर्कस्य)

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (always)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• अर्कः: arka (sun-plant)
• अर्कः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्क (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• भोजने: in eating/at meals
• भोजने: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भोजन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• अत्र: here/in this matter
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (here)

• न: not/no
• न: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation particle)

• संशयः: doubt
• संशयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संशय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

Speaker

Śiva

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (Arka-janma/manifestation spot)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A didactic scene: the Sun’s manifestation is indicated at a marked spot; a teacher-figure instructs pilgrims, gesturing away from arka-plant food, emphasizing restraint and purity.

Characters & Entities

• Sūrya (Arka)
• Arka (plant)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Reverence for a deity’s manifestation can create specific local disciplines (niyama), including dietary restraints.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, where the Sun is said to have manifested as Arka.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A clear niyama: avoid consuming food associated with arka (especially arka-leaves/arka-plates) in that sacred area.