Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 31

Devanagari script

मृतके यस्तु भुञ्जीत गृहीतशशिभास्करे । गजच्छायासु यः कश्चित्तं च शूद्रवदाचरेत्

Transliteration

mṛtake yastu bhuñjīta gṛhītaśaśibhāskare | gajacchāyāsu yaḥ kaścittaṃ ca śūdravadācaret

Translation

Wer während der Totenunreinheit (sūtaka) isst, oder wenn Mond und Sonne „ergriffen“ sind (Finsternis), und wer im Schatten von Elefanten isst—der ist im dharmischen Verhalten wie ein śūdra zu behandeln.

Word by Word

• मृतके: in/at a dead body (context: in the presence of a corpse)
• मृतके: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृतक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन — Locative Singular (in/at a dead body/among the dead)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन — Relative pronoun, Nominative Singular

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha/Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय — निपात/particle (emphasis/contrast)

• भुञ्जीत: should eat/partake
• भुञ्जीत: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भुज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative/विधिलिङ्), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन — 3rd person singular optative (should eat/partake)

• गृहीत-शशि-भास्करे: when the moon and sun are eclipsed (lit. ‘with moon and sun seized’)
• गृहीत-शशि-भास्करे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गृहीत (कृदन्त, √ग्रह्) + शशि (प्रातिपदिक) + भास्कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन — Locative Singular; समासः: तत्पुरुष (गृहीतौ शशिभास्करौ यस्मिन् काले/अवस्थायाम्)

• गज-छायासु: in elephant-shadows (i.e., in the shade of elephants)
• गज-छायासु: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गज (प्रातिपदिक) + छाया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), बहुवचन — Locative Plural; समासः: तत्पुरुष (गजस्य छाया)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन — Relative pronoun, Nominative Singular

• कश्चित्: someone/anyone
• कश्चित्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + चित् (अव्यय-प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन — Indefinite pronoun, Nominative Singular

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — Accusative Singular

• च: and
• च: Sambandha/Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय — समुच्चय/coordination conjunction

• शूद्रवत्: like a Śūdra
• शूद्रवत्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: शूद्र (प्रातिपदिक) + वत् (तद्धित)
• Form: अव्यय — उपमान/तुल्यतार्थक अव्यय (like a Śūdra)

• आचरेत्: should behave/act
• आचरेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-चर् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative/विधिलिङ्), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन — 3rd person singular optative (should behave/act)

Speaker

Unknown (within Prabhāsakṣetramāhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim at Prabhāsa refrains from food while the sun and moon are darkened; nearby, a funeral-household observes sūtaka; the temple silhouette of Somnātha anchors the sacred setting.

Characters & Entities

• Śaśin (moon)
• Bhāskara (sun)
• Grahaṇa (eclipse implied)
• Gaja (elephant)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Discipline around purity-times (death-impurity and eclipse) is treated as a serious marker of dharmic seriousness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse sits within Prabhāsa Kṣetra’s Māhātmya, presenting behavioral purity as part of tīrtha-centered living.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Avoid eating during death-impurity (aśauca) and during eclipse conditions; the verse also warns against certain improper eating contexts.