Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 26

Devanagari script

न भैक्षं परपाकं तु न च भैक्ष्यं प्रतिग्रहम् । सोमपानसमं भैक्ष्यं तस्माद्भैक्षं समाचरेत्

Transliteration

na bhaikṣaṃ parapākaṃ tu na ca bhaikṣyaṃ pratigraham | somapānasamaṃ bhaikṣyaṃ tasmādbhaikṣaṃ samācaret

Translation

L’aumône ne doit pas être prise comme une « nourriture cuisinée chez autrui » pour la jouissance, ni l’aumône être tenue pour une « acceptation de dons » formelle (pratigraha). La nourriture d’aumône est égale à la boisson du Soma ; aussi faut-il pratiquer la vie d’aumônes.

Word by Word

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध (negation particle)

• भैक्षम्: alms (as a practice/food)
• भैक्षम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भैक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन

• पर-पाकम्: food cooked by others
• पर-पाकम्: Predicate/Complement (Vidhaya/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक) + पाक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषसमासः (परस्य पाकः)

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध (negation particle)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय (conjunction)

• भैक्ष्यम्: alms-giving/acceptance of alms
• भैक्ष्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भैक्ष्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन

• प्रतिग्रहम्: accepting gifts
• प्रतिग्रहम्: Predicate/Complement (Vidhaya/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रतिग्रह (प्रातिपदिक; √ग्रह् (धातु) उपसर्गः प्रति)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन

• सोम-पान-समम्: equal to drinking soma
• सोम-पान-समम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सोम (प्रातिपदिक) + पान (प्रातिपदिक; √पा (धातु) ल्युट्) + सम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषसमासः (सोमपानस्य समम्)

• भैक्ष्यम्: alms (practice)
• भैक्ष्यम्: Karta/Topic (Subject/कर्ता as topic)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भैक्ष्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Reason/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम; प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तस्मात्-इत्यव्ययप्रयोगः (ablatival adverb: 'therefore/from that')

• भैक्षम्: alms (as practice)
• भैक्षम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भैक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• समाचरेत्: should practice
• समाचरेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √चर् (धातु) उपसर्गः सम् + आ
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

Speaker

Īśvarī (Pārvatī) or a Devī in the Prabhāsakṣetra Māhātmya discourse

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A restrained pilgrim-mendicant at Prabhāsa receives a small portion of alms with folded hands, refusing lavish offerings; in the background a coastal tīrtha with a Śiva shrine and Soma symbolism (moon, white libation) suggests the sanctity of simple sustenance.

Characters & Entities

• Soma

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Alms-living is sacred when practiced with purity and non-attachment; it is not meant for dependence, indulgence, or transactional gift-taking.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single site is singled out; the verse gives a general dharma-rule within the Prabhāsakṣetra Māhātmya context.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Practice bhaikṣa (living on alms) with the right attitude, distinct from parapāka-indulgence and from pratigraha (obligating acceptance).