Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 63

Devanagari script

ब्राह्मणार्थेषु यत्क्लृप्तमन्नं तेषां वरानने । तद्वाहनेभ्यः प्रददुः सुरागंधरसान्वितम्

Transliteration

brāhmaṇārtheṣu yatklṛptamannaṃ teṣāṃ varānane | tadvāhanebhyaḥ pradaduḥ surāgaṃdharasānvitam

Translation

O du Schönangesichtige, die Speise, die für die Brahmanen bereitgelegt war, gaben sie stattdessen ihren Reittieren — Speise, durchdrungen von Duft und Geschmack des Rausches.

Word by Word

• ब्राह्मणार्थेषु: for Brahmins’ purposes
• ब्राह्मणार्थेषु: Adhikarana (Location/Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brāhmaṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + artha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), बहुवचन; ‘ब्राह्मणानाम् अर्थेषु’ = for the purposes/needs of Brahmins (locative of purpose/context)

• यत्: which
• यत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; सम्बन्धक सर्वनाम = relative pronoun ‘which/that’ (refers to अन्नम्)

• क्लृप्तम्: prepared
• क्लृप्तम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √kḷp (कॢप्) (धातु) + क्त
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त = ‘prepared/arranged’ (qualifies अन्नम्)

• अन्नम्: food
• अन्नम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; here as कर्म (object) of प्रददुः

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन; ‘of them’ (genitive)

• वरानने: O fair-faced one
• वरानने: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vara-ānana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन; कर्मधारय = ‘वरम् आननं यस्याः’/‘सुन्दरानना’ (O fair-faced one)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘that’ (refers to the food)

• वाहनेभ्यः: to the carriers/vehicles
• वाहनेभ्यः: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vāhana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th), बहुवचन; सम्प्रदान = dative ‘to the vehicles/carriers’

• प्रददुः: gave
• प्रददुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√dā (दा) (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; ‘they gave’

• सुरा: liquor
• सुरा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: surā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासपूर्वपद (in compound)

• गन्ध: fragrance
• गन्ध: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gandha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासपूर्वपद (in compound)

• रस: taste/essence
• रस: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rasa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासपूर्वपद (in compound)

• अन्वितम्: endowed with
• अन्वितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: anu-√i (इ) (धातु) + क्त
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त = ‘endowed/combined with’ (qualifies तत्/अन्नम्)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating (vocative suggests addressing a listener within the story; exact interlocutor not in snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Naimiṣāraṇya sages

Visual Art Cues

Scene: In the Prabhāsa camp, attendants divert food set aside for Brahmins to horses/vehicles; jars of liquor scent the air; the warriors’ restraint loosens; a moral shadow falls over the sacred ground.

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇas
• Vāhana (mounts)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When dharma declines, sacred allocations meant for worthy recipients are diverted—signaling moral disorder under kāla.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra forms the backdrop, contrasting a holy place with the consequences of unrighteous conduct within it.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implied is the norm of brāhmaṇa-bhojana/offerings; the verse shows its violation rather than prescribing it.