Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

अभोज्यं ब्राह्मणस्यान्नं क्षत्रियाद्यैर्निमन्त्रितैः । तथैव ब्राह्मणस्यान्नं ब्राह्मणेन निमन्त्रितौः

Transliteration

abhojyaṃ brāhmaṇasyānnaṃ kṣatriyādyairnimantritaiḥ | tathaiva brāhmaṇasyānnaṃ brāhmaṇena nimantritauḥ

Translation

Die Speise, die einem Brāhmaṇa zusteht, soll nicht gegessen werden, wenn (der Brāhmaṇa) von einem Kṣatriya und anderen eingeladen wurde; ebenso wird die Speise des Brāhmaṇa unzulässig, wenn die Einladung in ungehöriger Weise erfolgt ist.

Word by Word

• अभोज्यम्: not fit to be eaten
• अभोज्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म) (विधेयविशेषणरूपेण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ-भोज्य (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक; √भुज् (धातु) + यत् प्रत्यय, नञ्-पूर्वक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; यत्-कृदन्त (gerundive/future passive participle) — 'not to be eaten'

• ब्राह्मणस्य: of a Brahmin
• ब्राह्मणस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी विभक्ति (Genitive/षष्ठी), एकवचन

• अन्नम्: food
• अन्नम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन

• क्षत्रियाद्यैः: by Kshatriyas and others
• क्षत्रियाद्यैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षत्रिय + आदि (प्रातिपदिकौ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति (Instrumental/तृतीया), बहुवचन; 'क्षत्रिय-आदि' = 'Kshatriya and others'

• निमन्त्रितैः: (who are) invited
• निमन्त्रितैः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नि-√मन्त्र् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, बहुवचन; क्त-प्रत्यय (past passive participle) — 'having been invited' (agreeing with क्षत्रियाद्यैः)

• तथा: so, likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Discourse connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• एव: indeed, just
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (emphatic particle)

• ब्राह्मणस्य: of a Brahmin
• ब्राह्मणस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अन्नम्: food
• अन्नम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन

• ब्राह्मणेन: by a Brahmin
• ब्राह्मणेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन

• निमन्त्रितौः: invited (reading uncertain)
• निमन्त्रितौः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नि-√मन्त्र् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: रूपपाठे 'निमन्त्रितौः' अशुद्ध/दुर्लभ; अपेक्षितं सम्भाव्यं: 'निमन्त्रितैः' (तृतीया बहुवचन) वा 'निमन्त्रितः' (प्रथमा एकवचन) सन्दर्भानुसार; क्त-प्रत्यय (PPP)

Speaker

Śiva (Īśvara)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādevī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A śrāddha meal setting where a subtle boundary is shown: certain dishes are marked as ‘not to be eaten’ due to improper invitation; elders or priests gesture caution, emphasizing niṣedha and ritual correctness.

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇa
• Kṣatriya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purity in śrāddha extends to social/ritual propriety around invitations and food-sharing, treated as spiritually consequential.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The teaching is embedded in Prabhāsa-kṣetra māhātmya, though the verse focuses on śrāddha protocol rather than site-description.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It indicates restrictions regarding eating brāhmaṇa-associated food depending on who issues the invitation and the propriety of the arrangement.