Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 83

Devanagari script

मध्ययोर्वृषलोपान्ते राज्यहारे च सूतके । दशाष्टकासु भूतायां श्राद्धाहे प्रतिपद्यपि

Transliteration

madhyayorvṛṣalopānte rājyahāre ca sūtake | daśāṣṭakāsu bhūtāyāṃ śrāddhāhe pratipadyapi

Translation

Aux instants de jonction (sandhyā), à la fin d’un contact avec un paria, lors de la perte du royaume et dans l’impureté due à une naissance ou à un décès; de même aux huitième et dixième jours, lors de l’observance inauspicieuse dite Bhūtā, aux jours de śrāddha, et même à la pratipadā (premier jour lunaire) : en ces temps, l’étude sacrée doit être interrompue.

Word by Word

• मध्ययोः: of the two middle (periods)
• मध्ययोः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), द्विवचन; ‘मध्य’ = middle; ‘मध्ययोः’ = of the two middles (i.e., in the middle two days/parts)

• वृषलोपान्ते: at the end of the loss of the bull (i.e., when the bull is lost)
• वृषलोपान्ते: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृषलोप + अन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः—वृषस्य लोपः = वृषलोपः, तस्य अन्तः = वृषलोपान्तः; ‘-e’ = locative

• राज्यहारे: in the seizure/loss of the kingdom
• राज्यहारे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राज्य + हार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः—राज्यस्य हारः = राज्यहारः; ‘-e’ = locative

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• सूतके: during the impurity period (sūtaka)
• सूतके: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूतक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; ‘सूतक’ = impurity period (birth/death)

• दशाष्टकासु: in the ten aṣṭakā-days/rites
• दशाष्टकासु: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दश + अष्टका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), बहुवचन; द्विगु-समासः—दश अष्टकाः = दशाष्टकाः (ten ‘aṣṭakā’ days/rites); ‘-su’ = locative plural

• भूतायाम्: on the Bhūtā (day/occasion)
• भूतायाम्: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; ‘भूता’ (as a named day/occasion)

• श्राद्धाहे: on the day of śrāddha
• श्राद्धाहे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध + अहन्/अह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः—श्राद्धस्य अहः = श्राद्धाहः; ‘-e’ = locative

• प्रतिपदि: on the pratipad (1st lunar day)
• प्रतिपदि: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रतिपद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; ‘प्रतिपद्’ = lunar first day; ‘-i’ = locative

• अपि: also/even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्भावना/अपि-कारक-अव्यय (particle: also/even)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced from Purāṇic recital setting within Brāhma/Brahmakhaṇḍa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A brahmacārin with a palm-leaf manuscript closes his text at twilight; nearby a household performs śrāddha offerings, while a symbolic calendar wheel marks tithis and impurity periods.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma includes restraint: sacred learning is honored by observing purity, proper timing, and social-ritual boundaries.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse is primarily a dharma injunction within Dharmāraṇya; it does not directly glorify a named tīrtha in the given line.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It lists anadhyāya occasions—times like sūtaka, śrāddha days, and certain tithis—when scriptural study should be paused.