Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

शूद्रान्नोपहता विप्रा विह्वला रतिलालसाः । कुपिताः किं करिष्यंति निर्विषा इव पन्नगाः

Transliteration

śūdrānnopahatā viprā vihvalā ratilālasāḥ | kupitāḥ kiṃ kariṣyaṃti nirviṣā iva pannagāḥ

Translation

Brāhmaṇas, once impaired by Śūdra-food, become unsteady and driven by sensual craving; even if angered, what can they accomplish—like serpents that have lost their venom?

Word by Word

• शूद्रान्न-उपहता: afflicted by Shudra's food
• शूद्रान्न-उपहता: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शूद्र + अन्न (प्रातिपदिकौ) + उप-√हन् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचन; 'शूद्रान्न' (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष) + 'उपहता' (क्त-प्रत्यय PPP) — 'struck/afflicted by Shudra-food' (agreeing with विप्राः)

• विप्राः: Brahmins
• विप्राः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• विह्वलाः: bewildered, distressed
• विह्वलाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विह्वल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• रतिलालसाः: lusting for sensual pleasure
• रतिलालसाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रति + लालस (प्रातिपदिकौ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः — 'रतौ लालसाः' = 'eager for pleasure'

• कुपिताः: angered
• कुपिताः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कुपित (प्रातिपदिक; √कुप् (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचन; क्त-प्रत्यय PPP — 'angered'

• किम्: what
• किम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक सर्वनाम (interrogative)

• करिष्यन्ति: will do
• करिष्यन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future/लृट्), तृतीयपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• निर्विषाः: poisonless
• निर्विषाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर् + विष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचन; उपसर्गपूर्वक विशेषण — 'without poison'

• इव: like
• इव: Sambandha (Simile marker/उपमा)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमावाचक (comparative particle)

• पन्नगाः: snakes
• पन्नगाः: Upamana (Standard of comparison/उपमान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पन्नग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचन

Speaker

Unknown (Prabhāsakṣetramāhātmya narration; likely within an ācāra-śikṣā passage)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A group of brāhmaṇas after eating become restless, eyes drawn to sensual objects; beside them a serpent with blunted fangs and no venom sac symbolizes lost potency; a dimmed sacred flame in the background.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It links food discipline to inner steadiness and spiritual potency, warning that impurity weakens one’s effectiveness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa Kṣetra, within the Prabhāsakṣetramāhātmya section.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A caution against consuming certain foods considered ritually impairing in the text’s dharma framework.