Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 69

Devanagari script

मध्यपत्रे न भुञ्जीत ब्रह्मवृक्षस्य भामिनि । नोच्चरेत्प्रणवं मंत्रं पुरोडाशं न भक्षयेत्

Transliteration

madhyapatre na bhuñjīta brahmavṛkṣasya bhāmini | noccaretpraṇavaṃ maṃtraṃ puroḍāśaṃ na bhakṣayet

Translation

O fair lady, one should not eat upon the middle leaf of the sacred ‘brahma-tree’. Nor should one utter the Praṇava (Oṃ) as a mantra, and one should not partake of the puroḍāśa offering-cake.

Word by Word

• मध्यपत्रे: on the middle leaf
• मध्यपत्रे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मध्य + पत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (मध्यस्य पत्रम्)

• न: not
• न: Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negative particle)

• भुञ्जीत: should eat
• भुञ्जीत: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भुज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• ब्रह्मवृक्षस्य: of the brahma-tree
• ब्रह्मवृक्षस्य: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मवृक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; समासः कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-प्रायः (ब्रह्मणः वृक्षः)

• भामिनि: O fair lady
• भामिनि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भामिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negative particle)

• उच्चरेत्: should utter
• उच्चरेत्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उद् + चर् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• प्रणवम्: the praṇava (Oṃ)
• प्रणवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रणव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• मन्त्रम्: mantra
• मन्त्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; अपपद-सम्बन्धः (प्रणवम् मन्त्रम् = ‘praṇava-mantra’)

• पुरोडाशम्: puroḍāśa (sacrificial cake)
• पुरोडाशम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरोडाश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negative particle)

• भक्षयेत्: should eat/consume
• भक्षयेत्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa Māhātmya narration; addressing a देवी as bhāmini)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: bhāmini (female addressee within the narrative)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A domestic-pilgrimage instruction scene: a woman devotee being advised about leaf-plate etiquette, mantra restraint, and not consuming a specific offering-cake; temple kitchen and sacred tree nearby.

Characters & Entities

• Praṇava (Oṃ)
• puroḍāśa
• brahmavṛkṣa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred places have specific disciplines; reverence is shown by observing localized ritual boundaries.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa Kṣetra, within whose Māhātmya these observances are taught.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Prohibitions concerning where to eat, chanting the Praṇava as mantra, and consuming puroḍāśa.