Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 35

Devanagari script

स्वकीयभावसंयुक्तः संपूर्णं फलमश्नुते । लभते षोडशांशं स यः परान्नेन गच्छति

Transliteration

svakīyabhāvasaṃyuktaḥ saṃpūrṇaṃ phalamaśnute | labhate ṣoḍaśāṃśaṃ sa yaḥ parānnena gacchati

Translation

Wer mit seinem eigenen rechten Zustand verbunden ist (im Geist selbstständig), genießt die volle Frucht. Wer aber von der Speise anderer getragen weitergeht, empfängt nur den sechzehnten Teil.

Word by Word

• स्वकीयभावसंयुक्तः: endowed with one’s own proper attitude
• स्वकीयभावसंयुक्तः: Karta (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वकीय (प्रातिपदिक) + भाव (प्रातिपदिक) + संयुक्त (√युज् + क्त)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष/कर्मधारय-प्रायः समासः; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त 'संयुक्त' (joined/associated) — 'स्वकीयभावेन संयुक्तः'

• संपूर्णम्: complete
• संपूर्णम्: Karma (Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: संपूर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (complete)

• फलम्: fruit; result
• फलम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (fruit/result)

• अश्नुते: obtains; enjoys
• अश्नुते: Kriya (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √अश् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (present), आत्मनेपद; प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; धातु: अश् (to eat/enjoy/obtain)

• लभते: obtains
• लभते: Kriya (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √लभ् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (present), आत्मनेपद; प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन (he obtains)

• षोडशांशम्: a sixteenth share
• षोडशांशम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: षोडश (संख्या) + अंश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्विगु-समास; पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; (a sixteenth part)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (he)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Relative subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सम्बन्धक-यः (relative pronoun: who)

• परान्नेन: with another’s food
• परान्नेन: Karana (Instrument/Means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: परस्य अन्नम्; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन (with another’s food)

• गच्छति: goes
• गच्छति: Kriya (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √गम् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (present), परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन (he goes)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Two pilgrims: one carries his own provisions and serves quietly at the shrine, bathed in a full halo; the other eats from others’ plates, shown with a faint, fractional halo marked ‘1/16’, illustrating diminished fruit.

Characters & Entities

• para-anna (another’s food)
• phala (merit)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Inner and outer self-reliance preserves the full merit of pilgrimage; dependence for sustenance diminishes the fruit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, where the ‘phala’ of yātrā is calibrated by the pilgrim’s discipline and independence.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Prefer sustaining oneself by rightful personal means; avoid living on para-anna if seeking complete tīrtha-phala.