Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 161

Devanagari script

भिक्षामात्रेण चान्नेन गौतमो निर्मलीकृतः । सोंधकेन तदा युद्धं चक्रे रुद्रोऽपि कोपितः

Transliteration

bhikṣāmātreṇa cānnena gautamo nirmalīkṛtaḥ | soṃdhakena tadā yuddhaṃ cakre rudro'pi kopitaḥ

Translation

Par la seule nourriture d’aumône, Gautama fut rendu pur. Alors Rudra aussi, courroucé, livra bataille à Andhaka.

Word by Word

• भिक्षा-मात्रेण: by mere alms
• भिक्षा-मात्रेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भिक्षा (प्रातिपदिक) + मात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• अन्नेन: with food
• अन्नेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• गौतमः: Gautama
• गौतमः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गौतम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• निर्मलीकृतः: was purified
• निर्मलीकृतः: Kriya (Resultant state/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: निर्+मल (प्रातिपदिक) + √कृ (धातु) → निर्मलीकृत (कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त) ‘made pure/cleansed’ (कर्मणि प्रयोगभाव)

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

• अन्धकेन: by/with Andhaka
• अन्धकेन: Sahakārī/Karana (Agent in passive/सहकारी-कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्धक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kāla (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• युद्धम्: battle
• युद्धम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• चक्रे: made/waged
• चक्रे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• रुद्रः: Rudra
• रुद्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• अपि: also
• अपि: Samuccaya (Addition/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपेक्षार्थक-अव्यय (also/even)

• कोपितः: angered
• कोपितः: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √कुप् (धातु) → कोपित (कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त) ‘angered’

Speaker

Sūta (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Austere Gautama receiving a small portion of alms-food and becoming radiant; nearby, Rudra—eyes blazing—advances to battle Andhaka amid stormy skies.

Characters & Entities

• Gautama
• Rudra (Śiva)
• Andhaka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even simple charity and sanctified food can purify; when dharma is threatened, Rudra acts decisively to protect righteousness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vastrāpatha Kṣetra is praised as a setting where purification and divine protection are vividly remembered.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Bhikṣā/anna-dāna is implied as purifying—offering or receiving sanctified alms-food as a dharmic act.