Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 15
काणाः खञ्जाश्च कृष्णाश्च दरिद्रा व्याधितास्तथा । सर्वे श्राद्धे नियोक्तव्या मिश्रिता वेदपारगैः
kāṇāḥ khañjāśca kṛṣṇāśca daridrā vyādhitāstathā | sarve śrāddhe niyoktavyā miśritā vedapāragaiḥ
Les borgnes, les boiteux, les gens au teint sombre, les pauvres et les malades—eux aussi doivent tous être conviés et employés au Śrāddha, assis mêlés aux brāhmanes versés dans les Veda.
Śiva (deduced from the first-person continuation in subsequent verses: 'mama rūpam', 'yathāham')
Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra
Type: kshetra
Listener: Pilgrim/householder performing śrāddha at Prabhāsa
Scene: A śrāddha assembly where Veda-learned Brāhmaṇas sit alongside poor and physically impaired dvijas, all receiving equal honor; the host offers food and water with impartial reverence.
FAQs
Do not exclude people from sacred rites due to physical condition or poverty; dharma in Śrāddha is fulfilled through respectful inclusion.
Prabhāsa Kṣetra (Prabhāsatīrtha region), within the Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa’s Prabhāsakṣetra Māhātmya.
In Śrāddha, invite and seat even the disadvantaged together with Veda-knowing Brāhmaṇas, rather than rejecting them.