Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 25

Devanagari script

यो दृष्ट्वार्कस्थलं मर्त्त्यश्चार्कपत्रेषु भुंजति । गोमांसभक्षणं तेन कृतं भवति भामिनि

Transliteration

yo dṛṣṭvārkasthalaṃ marttyaścārkapatreṣu bhuṃjati | gomāṃsabhakṣaṇaṃ tena kṛtaṃ bhavati bhāmini

Translation

Ô Dame rayonnante ! Tout mortel qui, après avoir vu le lieu d’Arka, mange sur des feuilles d’arka, est tenu pour avoir commis le péché de manger de la chair de vache.

Word by Word

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक (relative pronoun)

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दृश् (धातु) → दृष्ट्वा (क्त्वान्त अव्यय)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund); पूर्वक्रिया (having seen)

• अर्कस्थलम्: the place of Arka
• अर्कस्थलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्क-स्थल (प्रातिपदिक; अर्क + स्थल)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• मर्त्यः: a mortal man
• मर्त्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मर्त्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक

• अर्कपत्रेषु: on/in arka leaves
• अर्कपत्रेषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्क-पत्र (प्रातिपदिक; अर्क + पत्र)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), बहुवचन

• भुञ्जति: eats
• भुञ्जति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भुज् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• गोमांसभक्षणम्: eating of beef
• गोमांसभक्षणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो-मांस-भक्षण (प्रातिपदिक; गो + मांस + भक्षण)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; विधेय (predicate noun)

• तेन: by him/thereby
• तेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• कृतम्: is done/committed
• कृतम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) → कृत (कृदन्त/क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘कृतं’ = done/committed

• भवति: becomes/is
• भवति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• भामिनि: O fair lady
• भामिनि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भामिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन

Speaker

Śiva

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Arka-sthala within Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Bhāminī / ‘O radiant Lady’ (addressed)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A warning tableau: a pilgrim about to eat on arka-leaves is stopped by an elder/priest; in the background a symbolic shadow-scene equates the act with the stigma of go-māṃsa-bhakṣaṇa, emphasizing moral gravity.

Characters & Entities

• Arka-sthala (Sun site)
• Arka-patra (arka leaves)
• Go (Cow)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage purity includes conduct; violating local sacred restraints is treated as a grave moral transgression.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Arka-sthala within Prabhāsa-kṣetra, connected to Sūrya’s manifestation.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Do not eat using arka leaves/plates after visiting the Arka-site; it is condemned as equivalent to eating cow-flesh.