Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 31

Devanagari script

मृतके यस्तु भुञ्जीत गृहीतशशिभास्करे । गजच्छायासु यः कश्चित्तं च शूद्रवदाचरेत्

Transliteration

mṛtake yastu bhuñjīta gṛhītaśaśibhāskare | gajacchāyāsu yaḥ kaścittaṃ ca śūdravadācaret

Translation

മൃതാശൗചം (സൂതകം) നിലനിൽക്കുമ്പോൾ ഭക്ഷിക്കുന്നവൻ, ചന്ദ്ര-സൂര്യ ഗ്രഹണകാലത്ത് ആഹാരം ചെയ്യുന്നവൻ, കൂടാതെ ആനകളുടെ നിഴലിൽ ഭക്ഷിക്കുന്നവൻ—അവനെ ധർമ്മാചാരത്തിൽ ശൂദ്രവത് എന്നു കണക്കാക്കണം.

Word by Word

• मृतके: in/at a dead body (context: in the presence of a corpse)
• मृतके: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृतक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन — Locative Singular (in/at a dead body/among the dead)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन — Relative pronoun, Nominative Singular

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

• भुञ्जीत: should eat/partake
• भुञ्जीत: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भुज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative/विधिलिङ्), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन — 3rd person singular optative (should eat/partake)

• गृहीत-शशि-भास्करे: when the moon and sun are eclipsed (lit. ‘with moon and sun seized’)
• गृहीत-शशि-भास्करे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गृहीत (कृदन्त, √ग्रह्) + शशि (प्रातिपदिक) + भास्कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन — Locative Singular; समासः: तत्पुरुष (गृहीतौ शशिभास्करौ यस्मिन् काले/अवस्थायाम्)

• गज-छायासु: in elephant-shadows (i.e., in the shade of elephants)
• गज-छायासु: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गज (प्रातिपदिक) + छाया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), बहुवचन — Locative Plural; समासः: तत्पुरुष (गजस्य छाया)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन — Relative pronoun, Nominative Singular

• कश्चित्: someone/anyone
• कश्चित्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + चित् (अव्यय-प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन — Indefinite pronoun, Nominative Singular

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — Accusative Singular

• च: and
• च: Sambandha/Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय — समुच्चय/coordination conjunction

• शूद्रवत्: like a Śūdra
• शूद्रवत्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: शूद्र (प्रातिपदिक) + वत् (तद्धित)
• Form: अव्यय — उपमान/तुल्यतार्थक अव्यय (like a Śūdra)

• आचरेत्: should behave/act
• आचरेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-चर् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative/विधिलिङ्), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन — 3rd person singular optative (should behave/act)

Speaker

Unknown (within Prabhāsakṣetramāhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim at Prabhāsa refrains from food while the sun and moon are darkened; nearby, a funeral-household observes sūtaka; the temple silhouette of Somnātha anchors the sacred setting.

Characters & Entities

• Śaśin (moon)
• Bhāskara (sun)
• Grahaṇa (eclipse implied)
• Gaja (elephant)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Discipline around purity-times (death-impurity and eclipse) is treated as a serious marker of dharmic seriousness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse sits within Prabhāsa Kṣetra’s Māhātmya, presenting behavioral purity as part of tīrtha-centered living.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Avoid eating during death-impurity (aśauca) and during eclipse conditions; the verse also warns against certain improper eating contexts.