Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 51

Devanagari script

यस्मादभक्ष्यं मांसं वै ब्राह्मणानां परं स्मृतम् । त्वयोपहृतमस्माकं सुगुप्तं भक्ष्यसंयुतम्

Transliteration

yasmādabhakṣyaṃ māṃsaṃ vai brāhmaṇānāṃ paraṃ smṛtam | tvayopahṛtamasmākaṃ suguptaṃ bhakṣyasaṃyutam

Translation

Denn Fleisch gilt als gänzlich verboten für Brahmanen; und doch hast du es uns gebracht, gut verborgen und unter erlaubte Speisen gemischt.

Word by Word

• yasmāt: because of which / since
• yasmāt: Hetu/Apādāna (Cause/Source)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (pronoun), नपुंसकलिङ्गे/पुंलिङ्गे, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन (Singular); सम्बन्धार्थे ‘यस्मात्’ = ‘because/from which’

• abhakṣyam: not to be eaten; forbidden
• abhakṣyam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a- + bhakṣya (प्रातिपदिक; √bhakṣ (धातु) ‘to eat’)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular); निषेध-उपसर्ग ‘a-’ (negative)

• māṃsam: meat
• māṃsam: Karma/Pradhāna (Object/Topic)
• Type: Noun
• Root: māṃsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular)

• vai: indeed
• vai: Sambandha/Emphasis (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vai (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अव्यय; बलार्थ/निश्चयार्थ (emphasis/indeed)

• brāhmaṇānām: of the Brahmins
• brāhmaṇānām: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brāhmaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (Plural)

• param: supreme; highest
• param: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular); ‘supreme/most’

• smṛtam: is regarded/remembered
• smṛtam: Kriyā (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √smṛ (धातु) + kta (क्त)
• Form: कृदन्त (past passive participle), क्त-प्रत्यय; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मणि-भाव (passive sense): ‘is remembered/considered’

• tvayā: by you
• tvayā: Karaṇa/Kartṛ (Agent/Instrument in passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (pronoun), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• upahṛtam: brought/offered
• upahṛtam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: upa- + √hṛ (धातु) + kta (क्त)
• Form: कृदन्त (past passive participle), क्त-प्रत्यय; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; उपसर्ग ‘upa-’ (towards/near)

• asmākam: of us / for us
• asmākam: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (pronoun), षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (Plural)

• suguptam: well-hidden; well-protected
• suguptam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: su- + gupta (प्रातिपदिक; √gup (धातु) ‘to protect’)
• Form: कृदन्त/विशेषण; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; उपसर्ग ‘su-’ (well)

• bhakṣya-saṃyutam: mixed/combined with edible food
• bhakṣya-saṃyutam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhakṣya (प्रातिपदिक; √bhakṣ) + saṃyuta (प्रातिपदिक; saṃ- + √yuj (धातु) + kta)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (determinative): ‘भक्ष्येण संयुतम्’; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

Speaker

Brāhmaṇas (addressing the Ocean)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādevī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The brāhmaṇas articulate the charge: meat is utterly forbidden for them, yet the Ocean brought it concealed, mixed with permissible foods—an accusation scene on the shore.

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇas
• Ocean (Samudra)
• Meat (māṃsa)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma includes vigilance: disguising adharma as permissible conduct is a grave deception with heavy consequences.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, framed as a dharma-revealing pilgrimage space where purity rules are emphasized.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite; the verse underscores dietary discipline (āhāra-śuddhi) as part of brāhmaṇic dharma.