Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 61

Devanagari script

चिकित्सकान्देवलकान्मांस विक्रयिणस्तथा । विपणैः पीरजीवंतो वर्ज्याः स्युर्हव्यकव्ययोः

Transliteration

cikitsakāndevalakānmāṃsa vikrayiṇastathā | vipaṇaiḥ pīrajīvaṃto varjyāḥ syurhavyakavyayoḥ

Translation

Les médecins, les prêtres de temple au service d’un salaire, les vendeurs de viande et ceux qui vivent du négoce et des marchés doivent être évités dans les rites de havya comme de kavya.

Word by Word

• cikitsakān: physicians
• cikitsakān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: cikitsaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• devalakān: temple-servants/priests for hire (devalakas)
• devalakān: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: devalaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• māṃsa-vikrayiṇaḥ: sellers of meat
• māṃsa-vikrayiṇaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: māṃsa (प्रातिपदिक) + vikrayin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (māṃsasya vikrayī)

• tathā: and likewise
• tathā: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थे

• vipaṇaiḥ: by trade/markets (by means of commerce)
• vipaṇaiḥ: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vipaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), बहुवचन

• pīra-jīvantaḥ: those living by pīra (a low/impure livelihood)
• pīra-jīvantaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pīra (प्रातिपदिक) + jīvant (√jīv + शतृ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकृदन्त ‘jīvant’; तत्पुरुषः (pīreṇa jīvantaḥ / pīra-āśritajīvikāḥ)

• varjyāḥ: to be avoided
• varjyāḥ: Pradhāna-viśeṣaṇa (Predicate adjective/विधेय-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: varjya (√vṛj/√varj + यत्)
• Form: यत्-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; ‘to be avoided’

• syuḥ: should be
• syuḥ: Kriyā (Copula/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √as (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• havya-kavyayoḥ: in/for the havya and kavya offerings
• havya-kavyayoḥ: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: havya (प्रातिपदिक) + kavya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी/सप्तमी-विभक्ति, द्विवचन; द्वन्द्वः

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Prabhāsa-khaṇḍa māhātmya discourse style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śrāddha-performing pilgrims/householders

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A śrāddha setting with symbolic figures representing excluded professions: a physician with herbal pouch, a wage-temple priest with coin, a meat-seller with scales, a trader at a stall—shown outside the ritual boundary; inside, qualified brāhmaṇas receive offerings.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual roles are framed as requiring a livelihood and conduct aligned with purity and restraint.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, whose māhātmya includes detailed dharma for offerings to gods and ancestors.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Avoid certain livelihood-based categories as recipients/participants in havya (deva) and kavya (pitṛ) rites.