Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 67

Devanagari script

षष्ठकालात्परं शूद्रस्तपः कुर्याद्यथा क्वचित् । राष्ट्रहानिस्तदा ज्ञेया राज्ञश्चोपद्रवो महान्

Transliteration

ṣaṣṭhakālātparaṃ śūdrastapaḥ kuryādyathā kvacit | rāṣṭrahānistadā jñeyā rājñaścopadravo mahān

Translation

ശൂദ്രൻ ഏതെങ്കിലും സാഹചര്യത്തിൽ ഷഷ്ഠകാലപരിധിയെ അതിക്രമിച്ച് തപസ്സു ചെയ്താൽ, അത് രാജ്യനാശത്തിന്റെ ലക്ഷണവും രാജാവിന് മഹാ ഉപദ്രവവും ആണെന്ന് അറിയണം.

Word by Word

• षष्ठकालात्: after/from the sixth time
• षष्ठकालात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: षष्ठकाल (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative), एकवचन; षष्ठः कालः इति कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुषभावः

• परम्: beyond, after
• परम्: Kaala-adhikarana (Temporal/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययप्रयोग (adverbial accusative): ‘beyond/after’

• शूद्रः: a Śūdra
• शूद्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शूद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• तपः: austerity
• तपः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• कुर्यात्: should do
• कुर्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• यथा: as, in whatever manner
• यथा: Prakara (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमान/प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (as/how)

• क्वचित्: at any time/anywhere
• क्वचित्: Desha/Kaala-adhikarana (Adverbial/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्वचित् (अव्यय)
• Form: देश/कालवाचक-अव्यय (somewhere/sometime)

• राष्ट्रहानिः: loss of the kingdom/state
• राष्ट्रहानिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राष्ट्र-हानि (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; राष्ट्रस्य हानिः इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kaala-adhikarana (Temporal/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (then)

• ज्ञेया: is to be known (as)
• ज्ञेया: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु) + तव्यत् (कृदन्त)
• Form: कर्तव्य/भाव्यर्थक कृदन्त (gerundive), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; राष्ट्रहानिः इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• राज्ञः: of the king
• राज्ञः: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन

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

• उपद्रवः: calamity, affliction
• उपद्रवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपद्रव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• महान्: great
• महान्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; उपद्रवः इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa Māhātmya narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A cautionary tableau: a pilgrim attempting severe austerity while ominous signs—darkened sky, distressed courtiers—suggest impending trouble for the realm.

Characters & Entities

• Śūdra
• rājā (king)
• rāṣṭra (kingdom)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage and austerity should follow prescribed dharma; disorderly practice is portrayed as socially destabilizing.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa Kṣetra (Prabhāsakṣetra), discussed within its Māhātmya section.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A restriction on undertaking tapas beyond a stated limit (‘ṣaṣṭhakāla’), framed as a dharmic boundary.