Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 35

Devanagari script

स्वकीयभावसंयुक्तः संपूर्णं फलमश्नुते । लभते षोडशांशं स यः परान्नेन गच्छति

Transliteration

svakīyabhāvasaṃyuktaḥ saṃpūrṇaṃ phalamaśnute | labhate ṣoḍaśāṃśaṃ sa yaḥ parānnena gacchati

Translation

Celui qui demeure uni à sa juste condition propre (l’âme s’appuyant sur elle-même) jouit du fruit entier. Mais celui qui chemine soutenu par la nourriture d’autrui n’en reçoit qu’un seizième.

Word by Word

• स्वकीयभावसंयुक्तः: endowed with one’s own proper attitude
• स्वकीयभावसंयुक्तः: Karta (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वकीय (प्रातिपदिक) + भाव (प्रातिपदिक) + संयुक्त (√युज् + क्त)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष/कर्मधारय-प्रायः समासः; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त 'संयुक्त' (joined/associated) — 'स्वकीयभावेन संयुक्तः'

• संपूर्णम्: complete
• संपूर्णम्: Karma (Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: संपूर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (complete)

• फलम्: fruit; result
• फलम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (fruit/result)

• अश्नुते: obtains; enjoys
• अश्नुते: Kriya (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √अश् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (present), आत्मनेपद; प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; धातु: अश् (to eat/enjoy/obtain)

• लभते: obtains
• लभते: Kriya (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √लभ् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (present), आत्मनेपद; प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन (he obtains)

• षोडशांशम्: a sixteenth share
• षोडशांशम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: षोडश (संख्या) + अंश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्विगु-समास; पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; (a sixteenth part)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (he)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Relative subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सम्बन्धक-यः (relative pronoun: who)

• परान्नेन: with another’s food
• परान्नेन: Karana (Instrument/Means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: परस्य अन्नम्; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन (with another’s food)

• गच्छति: goes
• गच्छति: Kriya (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √गम् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (present), परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन (he goes)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Two pilgrims: one carries his own provisions and serves quietly at the shrine, bathed in a full halo; the other eats from others’ plates, shown with a faint, fractional halo marked ‘1/16’, illustrating diminished fruit.

Characters & Entities

• para-anna (another’s food)
• phala (merit)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Inner and outer self-reliance preserves the full merit of pilgrimage; dependence for sustenance diminishes the fruit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, where the ‘phala’ of yātrā is calibrated by the pilgrim’s discipline and independence.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Prefer sustaining oneself by rightful personal means; avoid living on para-anna if seeking complete tīrtha-phala.