Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 51

Devanagari script

अपवित्रं भवेत्तासां मुखमेकं जुगुप्सितम् । शेषं शरीरं सर्वासां विशिष्टं तु सुरैः कृतम्

Transliteration

apavitraṃ bhavettāsāṃ mukhamekaṃ jugupsitam | śeṣaṃ śarīraṃ sarvāsāṃ viśiṣṭaṃ tu suraiḥ kṛtam

Translation

Pour elles, seule la bouche est tenue pour impure et digne d’être évitée ; mais le reste du corps de toutes fut rendu excellent et distingué par les dieux.

Word by Word

• अपवित्रम्: impure
• अपवित्रम्: Kriya (Predicate complement/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अपवित्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (predicate adjective)

• भवेत्: would be/becomes
• भवेत्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• तासाम्: of them
• तासाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• मुखम्: mouth/face
• मुखम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• एकम्: one
• एकम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; संख्याविशेषण

• जुगुप्सितम्: detestable
• जुगुप्सितम्: Kriya (Predicate complement/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गुप्स्/जुगुप्स् (धातु) → जुगुप्सित (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (kta); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण

• शेषम्: the rest/remaining
• शेषम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण

• शरीरम्: body
• शरीरम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शरीर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• सर्वासाम्: of all (of them)
• सर्वासाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; सर्वनामसदृश-विशेषण

• विशिष्टम्: distinguished/special
• विशिष्टम्: Kriya (Predicate complement/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि+शिष् (धातु) → विशिष्ट (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (kta); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण

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

• सुरैः: by the gods
• सुरैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• कृतम्: made/done
• कृतम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) → कृत (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (kta); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; (शरीरम्) इत्यस्य विधेय

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narrator within Prabhāsakṣetra-māhātmya; likely Sūta in the wider framing)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis/assembly (frame implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A didactic tableau: the cow-mothers’ bodies shine with divine distinction, while the mouth is subtly marked as to-be-avoided; devas stand as guarantors of the rule, Brahmā presiding.

Characters & Entities

• Suras (Devas)
• Gomātaraḥ (cow-mothers)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred beings may still be described through ritual categories; holiness and ritual constraints can coexist in Purāṇic discourse.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsakṣetra, where such dharmic distinctions are narrated as part of the site’s authoritative māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

An implied purity rule: the mouth is to be avoided as apavitra, while the rest is treated as sanctified.