Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 81

Devanagari script

यस्तु तां वरयेत्कन्यां ब्राह्मणो ज्ञानपूर्वतः । अश्राद्धेयमपांक्तेयं तं विद्याद्वृषलीपतिम्

Transliteration

yastu tāṃ varayetkanyāṃ brāhmaṇo jñānapūrvataḥ | aśrāddheyamapāṃkteyaṃ taṃ vidyādvṛṣalīpatim

Translation

Namun seorang Brāhmaṇa yang dengan pengetahuan sedar mengahwini anak dara demikian—ketahuilah dia tidak layak untuk Śrāddha dan tidak layak duduk dalam barisan jamuan upacara; dia dikenali sebagai vṛṣalīpati.

Word by Word

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

• तु: indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक अव्यय (indeed)

• ताम्: her
• ताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• वरयेत्: should choose (in marriage)
• वरयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृ (धातु; ‘to choose’)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• कन्याम्: a maiden
• कन्याम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कन्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• ब्राह्मणः: a Brahmin
• ब्राह्मणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• ज्ञानपूर्वतः: knowingly, with prior knowledge
• ज्ञानपूर्वतः: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ज्ञान (प्रातिपदिक) + पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + तस् (तद्धित)
• Form: अव्ययीभावसमासः; तद्धितान्त अव्यय ‘-तः’ (ablatival adverb): ‘with prior knowledge/knowingly’

• अश्राद्धेयम्: unfit for śrāddha offerings
• अश्राद्धेयम्: Karma (Object-complement/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ+श्राद्धेय (प्रातिपदिक; from श्राद्ध + यत्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; नञ्-युक्त विशेषणम् (not fit for śrāddha)

• अपांक्तेयम्: unfit to be in the (ritual) dining line
• अपांक्तेयम्: Karma (Object-complement/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ+पांक्तेय (प्रातिपदिक; from पंक्ति + एय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; नञ्-युक्त विशेषणम् (not fit to sit in a dining row)

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

• विद्यात्: one should know/consider
• विद्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: विद् (धातु; ‘to know’)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• वृषलीपतिम्: (as) the husband of a vṛṣalī
• वृषलीपतिम्: Karma (Object-complement/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृषली (प्रातिपदिक) + पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (वृषल्याः पतिः)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Prabhāsa-kṣetra Māhātmya narrative style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A ritual dining line (pāṅkti) and śrāddha setting is shown symbolically; a brāhmaṇa is gently barred, while a sage cites śāstra—emphasizing consequence rather than drama.

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇa
• Śrāddha
• pāṅkti

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Knowingly violating dharma in marriage/association is said to bring ritual disqualification, affecting one’s capacity to support Pitṛ rites.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra provides the authoritative setting where such dharma rules are taught as part of the tīrtha’s Māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse explicitly states disqualification: being aśrāddheya (unfit for Śrāddha) and apāṅkteya (unfit for ritual dining line).