Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 68

Devanagari script

शूद्रस्तु षष्ठकालाशी यथाशक्त्या तपश्चरेत् । न दर्भानुद्धरेच्छूद्रो न पिबेत्कापिलं पयः

Transliteration

śūdrastu ṣaṣṭhakālāśī yathāśaktyā tapaścaret | na darbhānuddharecchūdro na pibetkāpilaṃ payaḥ

Translation

ശൂദ്രൻ ഷഷ്ഠകാലത്തിൽ ആഹാരം കഴിച്ച് തന്റെ ശേഷിയനുസരിച്ച് തപസ്സു ആചരിക്കണം. ശൂദ്രൻ ദർഭ പുല്ല് പിഴുതെടുക്കരുത്; കപില (തവിട്ടുനിറമുള്ള) പശുവിന്റെ പാൽ കുടിക്കരുത്.

Word by Word

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

• तु: indeed
• तु: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विशेषार्थक-अव्यय (indeed/but)

• षष्ठकालाशी: one who eats at the sixth time
• षष्ठकालाशी: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: षष्ठकाल-आशी (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठकाले अश्नातीति (one who eats at the sixth time) — शूद्रः इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• यथाशक्त्या: according to (his) capacity
• यथाशक्त्या: Prakara (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा-शक्ति (प्रातिपदिक; अव्ययीभाव)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; तृतीया-एकवचन-रूपेण अव्ययवत् (adverbial instrumental): ‘according to ability’

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

• चरेत्: should practice
• चरेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: चर् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• न: not
• न: Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negative particle)

• दर्भान्: darbha grasses
• दर्भान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दर्भ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), बहुवचन

• उद्धरेत्: should lift up, pluck
• उद्धरेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उद्-हृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

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

• न: not
• न: Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negative particle)

• पिबेत्: should drink
• पिबेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पा (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• कापिलम्: from a tawny cow (kapilā)
• कापिलम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कापिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; पयः इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• पयः: milk
• पयः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पयस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa Māhātmya narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim at Prabhāsa being instructed: simple fasting, avoiding darbha handling and kapilā cow milk; nearby a ritual area with darbha bundles and a tawny cow kept for offerings.

Characters & Entities

• Śūdra
• darbha
• kapilā (cow)
• payaḥ (milk)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Austerity must be proportionate and guided by dharmic rules; restraint and proper limits are emphasized.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa Kṣetra, where pilgrimage discipline (tīrtha-vidhi) is being outlined.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Guidance on meal-timing during tapas and prohibitions regarding darbha handling and drinking kapilā-cow milk.