Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 25

Devanagari script

यो दृष्ट्वार्कस्थलं मर्त्त्यश्चार्कपत्रेषु भुंजति । गोमांसभक्षणं तेन कृतं भवति भामिनि

Transliteration

yo dṛṣṭvārkasthalaṃ marttyaścārkapatreṣu bhuṃjati | gomāṃsabhakṣaṇaṃ tena kṛtaṃ bhavati bhāmini

Translation

जो मर्त्य अर्कस्थल का दर्शन करके अर्क-पत्तों पर भोजन करता है, हे भामिनि, वह गोमांस-भक्षण के पाप का भागी माना जाता है।

Word by Word

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक (relative pronoun)

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दृश् (धातु) → दृष्ट्वा (क्त्वान्त अव्यय)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund); पूर्वक्रिया (having seen)

• अर्कस्थलम्: the place of Arka
• अर्कस्थलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्क-स्थल (प्रातिपदिक; अर्क + स्थल)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• मर्त्यः: a mortal man
• मर्त्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मर्त्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक

• अर्कपत्रेषु: on/in arka leaves
• अर्कपत्रेषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्क-पत्र (प्रातिपदिक; अर्क + पत्र)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), बहुवचन

• भुञ्जति: eats
• भुञ्जति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भुज् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• गोमांसभक्षणम्: eating of beef
• गोमांसभक्षणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो-मांस-भक्षण (प्रातिपदिक; गो + मांस + भक्षण)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; विधेय (predicate noun)

• तेन: by him/thereby
• तेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• कृतम्: is done/committed
• कृतम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) → कृत (कृदन्त/क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘कृतं’ = done/committed

• भवति: becomes/is
• भवति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• भामिनि: O fair lady
• भामिनि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भामिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन

Speaker

Śiva

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Arka-sthala within Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Bhāminī / ‘O radiant Lady’ (addressed)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A warning tableau: a pilgrim about to eat on arka-leaves is stopped by an elder/priest; in the background a symbolic shadow-scene equates the act with the stigma of go-māṃsa-bhakṣaṇa, emphasizing moral gravity.

Characters & Entities

• Arka-sthala (Sun site)
• Arka-patra (arka leaves)
• Go (Cow)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage purity includes conduct; violating local sacred restraints is treated as a grave moral transgression.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Arka-sthala within Prabhāsa-kṣetra, connected to Sūrya’s manifestation.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Do not eat using arka leaves/plates after visiting the Arka-site; it is condemned as equivalent to eating cow-flesh.