Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

आमं वा यदि वा पक्वं शूद्रान्नं यस्तु भक्षति । स भवेच्छूकरो ग्राम्यस्तस्य वा जायते कुले

Transliteration

āmaṃ vā yadi vā pakvaṃ śūdrānnaṃ yastu bhakṣati | sa bhavecchūkaro grāmyastasya vā jāyate kule

Translation

“പച്ചയായാലും പാകമായാലും—ശൂദ്രന്റെ അന്നം ഭക്ഷിക്കുന്നവൻ ഗ്രാമ്യ പന്നിയാകുന്നു; അല്ലെങ്കിൽ അവന്റെ വംശത്തിൽ അത്തരം ജന്മം സംഭവിക്കുന്നു.”

Word by Word

• आमम्: raw (food)
• आमम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; विशेषण (raw/uncooked)

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha/Particle
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-निपात (disjunctive particle: or)

• यदि: if
• यदि: Sambandha/Particle
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्तार्थक-अव्यय (conditional: if)

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha/Particle
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-निपात (or)

• पक्वम्: cooked
• पक्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पक्व (प्रातिपदिक; √पच् (धातु) से निष्पन्न)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (cooked/ripe)

• शूद्रान्नम्: Śūdra’s food
• शूद्रान्नम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शूद्र + अन्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (शूद्रस्य अन्नम्)

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

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Sambandha/Particle
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण/विरोधार्थक-निपात (but/indeed)

• भक्षति: eats
• भक्षति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

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

• भवेत्: would become
• भवेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• शूकरः: a pig
• शूकरः: Karta-Predicative (प्रथमा-समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शूकर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• ग्राम्यः: domestic
• ग्राम्यः: Karta-Predicative (समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ग्राम्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (domestic/village-dwelling)

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (genitive: of him)

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha/Particle
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-निपात (or)

• जायते: is born
• जायते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √जन् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• कुले: in (a) family
• कुले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (locative: in a family)

Speaker

Antyaja (contextual continuation)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A cautionary allegory: a brāhmaṇa hesitates before a food bowl labeled as prohibited; in the background, a symbolic vignette shows a pig in a village lane, representing the threatened karmic outcome.

Characters & Entities

• Śūdra
• Brāhmaṇa (implied addressee)
• Śūkara (pig)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The text uses karmic consequence imagery to emphasize strict observance of prescribed conduct regarding food.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsakṣetra is the broader setting; the verse itself is a dharma-warning within that māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Avoidance of eating certain food is presented as a rule, with consequences described for violation.