Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 66

Devanagari script

षष्ठकालाशनं शूद्रे तपः प्रोक्तं परं बुधैः । वर्णसंकरजातानां दिनमेकं प्रकीर्तितम्

Transliteration

ṣaṣṭhakālāśanaṃ śūdre tapaḥ proktaṃ paraṃ budhaiḥ | varṇasaṃkarajātānāṃ dinamekaṃ prakīrtitam

Translation

ശൂദ്രനു ഷഷ്ഠകാലത്തിൽ ഒരിക്കൽ മാത്രം ആഹാരം കഴിക്കുന്നതിനെ ജ്ഞാനികൾ പരമതപസ്സായി പ്രസ്താവിച്ചു. വർണസങ്കരജന്മർക്കു ഒരു ദിവസത്തെ ഉപവാസം തന്നെ നിയമമായി കീര്ത്തിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• षष्ठकालाशनम्: eating at the sixth time (i.e., one meal at the sixth period)
• षष्ठकालाशनम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: षष्ठ-काल-आशन (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठे काले (time) आशनम् इति सप्तमी/षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषभावः

• शूद्रे: for/in the case of a Śūdra
• शूद्रे: Adhikarana (Domain/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शूद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

• तपः: austerity
• तपः: Pradhana (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विधेय

• प्रोक्तम्: declared, stated
• प्रोक्तम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र-वच् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (PPP), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; तपः इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• परम्: supreme
• परम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; तपः इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• बुधैः: by the wise (sages)
• बुधैः: Karana (Instrument/Agent-in-passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बुध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• वर्णसंकरजातानाम्: of those born from mixed castes
• वर्णसंकरजातानाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ण-संकर-जात (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), बहुवचन; वर्णानां संकरः इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः, तस्मात् जाताः इति तत्पुरुषः

• दिनम्: a day
• दिनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

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

• प्रकीर्तितम्: is proclaimed, is prescribed
• प्रकीर्तितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र-कीर्त् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (PPP), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; (दिनम् एकम्) इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

Speaker

Unspecified (didactic voice within Prabhāsakṣetramāhātmāya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A didactic scene in Prabhāsa: a teacher-figure explaining graded fasting rules to pilgrims, with Somnātha’s coastal sacred landscape in the background.

Characters & Entities

• Śūdra
• Varṇa-saṅkara
• Tapas
• Upavāsa (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Austerity is taught in graded forms; even moderated fasting disciplines are affirmed as meaningful tapas when aligned with one’s capacity and rule.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The instruction is general within the Prabhāsakṣetra Māhātmya and is not tied to a single named sub-tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

For śūdras: ṣaṣṭhakālāśana (a regulated single-meal timing); for varṇa-saṅkara births: a one-day observance/fast.