Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 32

Devanagari script

ब्रह्मचारिणि यज्ञे च यतौ शिल्पिनि दीक्षिते । यज्ञे विवाहे सत्रे च सूतकं न कदाचन

Transliteration

brahmacāriṇi yajñe ca yatau śilpini dīkṣite | yajñe vivāhe satre ca sūtakaṃ na kadācana

Translation

Für den brahmacārin (zölibatären Schüler), für den im yajña Tätigen, für den yati (Asketen), für den Handwerker bei der Arbeit und für den durch dīkṣā Geweihten—ebenso während yajña, Hochzeit oder einer Opfersitzung (satra)—gilt sūtaka-Unreinheit niemals.

Word by Word

• ब्रह्मचारिणि: in/for a brahmacārin (celibate student)
• ब्रह्मचारिणि: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मचारिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन — Locative Singular (in the case of/with a brahmacārin)

• यज्ञे: in a sacrifice
• यज्ञे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन — Locative Singular

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

• यतौ: in/for an ascetic
• यतौ: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन — Locative Singular

• शिल्पिनि: in/for an artisan
• शिल्पिनि: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिल्पिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन — Locative Singular

• दीक्षिते: in/for an initiated person
• दीक्षिते: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दीक्षित (कृदन्त, √दिक्ष्/दीक्ष्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन — Locative Singular (in/for one who is initiated)

• यज्ञे: in a sacrifice
• यज्ञे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन — Locative Singular

• विवाहे: in a marriage (rite)
• विवाहे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विवाह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन — Locative Singular

• सत्रे: in a satra (session-sacrifice)
• सत्रे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन — Locative Singular

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

• सूतकम्: (the) impurity (sūtaka)
• सूतकम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूतक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन — Nominative Singular (impurity)

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय — निषेध/negation particle

• कदाचन: ever/at any time
• कदाचन: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कदाचन (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय — कालवाचक/temporal adverb (at any time/ever)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) speaking to the sages (deduced from Purāṇic narration style within Māhātmya sections)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A consecrated sacrificer continues a fire-ritual at Prabhāsa while messengers bring news of a death; elders instruct that the rite must proceed; nearby a wedding pavilion and a satra hall symbolize uninterrupted dharma.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred duties that sustain dharma—yajña, consecration, and marriage rites—are protected from disruption by ordinary impurity rules.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsakṣetra (Prabhāsa), presented as a dharma-centered pilgrimage landscape in this Māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Sūtaka (birth/death impurity) is declared inapplicable in specified contexts such as yajña, vivāha, and satra, and for persons actively bound to these duties.