Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 35

Devanagari script

आदित्येऽहनि संक्रांतौ ग्रहणे चन्द्र सूर्ययोः । पारणैश्चैव गोदाने नोपोष्यः पौत्रवान्गृही

Transliteration

āditye'hani saṃkrāṃtau grahaṇe candra sūryayoḥ | pāraṇaiścaiva godāne nopoṣyaḥ pautravāngṛhī

Translation

Am Sonntag, zur Saṅkrānti (Sonnenübergang) und während Mond- oder Sonnenfinsternissen—ebenso zur Zeit des pāraṇa (Fastenbrechen) und beim Kuhspenden—soll ein Hausvater, der einen Enkelsohn hat, nicht fasten.

Word by Word

• आदित्ये: on Sunday / on (the day of) the Sun
• आदित्ये: Adhikarana (Location/Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आदित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

• अहनि: on a day
• अहनि: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

• संक्रान्तौ: at the solar ingress (saṅkrānti)
• संक्रान्तौ: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संक्रान्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

• ग्रहणे: during an eclipse
• ग्रहणे: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ग्रहण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

• चन्द्र-सूर्ययोः: of the Moon and the Sun
• चन्द्र-सूर्ययोः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक) + सूर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), द्विवचन; द्वन्द्वसमास (itaretara-dvandva)

• पारणैः: by (acts of) breaking the fast / pāraṇa
• पारणैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पारण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), बहुवचन

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

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चय/अवधारण-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• गोदाने: in the giving of a cow (cow-donation)
• गोदाने: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोदान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation)

• उपोष्यः: should be fasted (i.e., one should fast)
• उपोष्यः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उपोष्य (प्रातिपदिक; √उपवस्/उपोष् + यत्, ‘to be fasted’)
• Form: कृदन्त (gerundive/तव्यत्-प्रत्ययार्थ), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (to be fasted)

• पौत्रवान्: having grandsons
• पौत्रवान्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पौत्रवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; मतुप्-अर्थ (possessing grandsons)

• गृही: householder
• गृही: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृहिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Unspecified in excerpt (within Prabhāsa-kṣetra Māhātmya narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A household elder with a grandson present refrains from fasting on saṅkrānti/eclipse day; instead he performs go-dāna and pāraṇa at the proper time, with priests and family gathered near a Śiva shrine.

Characters & Entities

• Saṅkrānti
• Grahaṇa (eclipse)
• Go-dāna
• Gṛhastha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Vrata practice must be harmonized with one’s life-stage and responsibilities; dharma is contextual, not merely austere.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The guidance is situated in Prabhāsa-kṣetra Māhātmya, where correct observance of vrata and dāna supports the sanctity of Prabhāsa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A rule about upavāsa (fasting): certain householders (pautravān) should avoid fasting on specified occasions such as saṅkrānti, eclipses, pāraṇa times, and go-dāna.