Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 28

Devanagari script

क्षुधार्तो गीतमभ्यागाद्विश्वामित्रः श्वजाघनीम् । चण्डालहस्तादादाय धर्माधर्मविचक्षणः

Transliteration

kṣudhārto gītamabhyāgādviśvāmitraḥ śvajāghanīm | caṇḍālahastādādāya dharmādharmavicakṣaṇaḥ

Translation

Viśvāmitra, tourmenté par la faim, alla prendre de la chair de chien ; discernant le dharma et l’adharma, il l’accepta de la main d’un caṇḍāla.

Word by Word

• क्षुधार्तः: afflicted by hunger
• क्षुधार्तः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्षुध्-आर्त (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त-आधारित विशेषण)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण विश्वामित्रस्य

• गीतम्: a song/chant
• गीतम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गीत (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त—क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अभ्यागात्: approached/came near
• अभ्यागात्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि-आ-गम् (धातु)
• Form: लुङ्-लकार (Aorist), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• विश्वामित्रः: Viśvāmitra
• विश्वामित्रः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विश्वामित्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• श्वजाघनीम्: a dog’s haunch (meat)
• श्वजाघनीम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्व + जाघनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (dog’s haunch/thigh)

• चण्डालहस्तात्: from a Caṇḍāla’s hand
• चण्डालहस्तात्: Apadana (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चण्डाल + हस्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (from the hand of a Caṇḍāla)

• आदाय: having taken
• आदाय: Kriya (क्रिया-पूर्वक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आ-दा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund)

• धर्माधर्मविचक्षणः: discerning of dharma and adharma
• धर्माधर्मविचक्षणः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धर्म + अधर्म + विचक्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (धर्म+अधर्म) इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व + विचक्षणः (तत्पुरुष-न्यास); विशेषण विश्वामित्रस्य

Speaker

Ṛṣis (citing Viśvāmitra as precedent)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka et al. (frame) / internal: caṇḍāla and sages

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Viśvāmitra, gaunt from hunger, stands before a caṇḍāla holding dog-meat; the sage’s face shows discernment and humility as he accepts to survive, illustrating dharma’s flexibility.

Characters & Entities

• Viśvāmitra
• Caṇḍāla

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True dharma includes discernment: in extreme hunger, even taboo food may be accepted to preserve life.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsakṣetra, where the māhātmya frames nuanced dharma as part of the sacred journey’s instruction.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it supports an exception-rule in distress rather than a ritual practice.