Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 22

Devanagari script

केचिद्गोमयभक्षाश्च जलाहारास्तथा परे । साग्निहोत्राः सुविद्वांसो मोक्षमार्गार्थचिन्तकाः

Transliteration

kecidgomayabhakṣāśca jalāhārāstathā pare | sāgnihotrāḥ suvidvāṃso mokṣamārgārthacintakāḥ

Translation

சிலர் கோமயத்தை உண்டனர்; சிலர் நீரையே உணவாகக் கொண்டனர். அக்னிஹோத்ரம் பேணிய அந்தப் பண்டித முனிவர்கள் மோட்சமார்க்கத்தின் பொருளைத் தியானித்தனர்।

Word by Word

• केचित्: some
• केचित्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + चित् (अव्यय-प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; अनिश्चितवाचक-सर्वनाम

• गोमयभक्षाः: eaters of cow-dung
• गोमयभक्षाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोमय (प्रातिपदिक) + भक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (गोमय-भक्षः = eater of cow-dung)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (and)

• जलाहाराः: those who subsist on water
• जलाहाराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल (प्रातिपदिक) + आहार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (जल-आहारः = one whose food is water)

• तथा: likewise/also
• तथा: Sambandha (Discourse connective)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/रीत्यर्थ

• परे: others
• परे: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• साग्निहोत्राः: performers of the agnihotra (with sacred fire rites)
• साग्निहोत्राः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स (उपसर्ग/सह) + अग्निहोत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ‘स-’ उपसर्गयुक्त (with agnihotra)

• सुविद्वांसः: very learned ones
• सुविद्वांसः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सु (उपसर्ग) + विद्वस् (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √विद् ‘to know’ क्तवत्/विद्वस्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विद्वस्-शब्दः (learned men)

• मोक्षमार्गार्थचिन्तकाः: contemplators of the meaning of the path to liberation
• मोक्षमार्गार्थचिन्तकाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मोक्ष (प्रातिपदिक) + मार्ग (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक) + चिन्तक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः (मोक्ष-मार्ग-अर्थ-चिन्तकः = one who reflects on the meaning/purpose of the path to liberation)

Speaker

Deductive (Prabhāsa-kṣetra-māhātmya narration; likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa addressing sages)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kṛtasmara-parvata (Prabhāsa)

Type: peak

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Ascetics practicing extreme dietary austerities (gomaya-bhakṣa, jalāhāra) while keeping sacred fires for Agnihotra; learned sages seated near the altar, contemplating mokṣa-mārga—firelight illuminating calm faces.

Characters & Entities

• Gomaya-bhakṣa (ascetic practice)
• Jalāhāra
• Agnihotra
• Mokṣa-mārga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True spiritual life balances outer discipline (tapas and Vedic rites) with inner inquiry into mokṣa.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra’s Kṛtasmara Parvata, presented as a center of Vedic ritual and liberation-focused contemplation.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Agnihotra maintenance is explicitly mentioned; ascetic dietary restraints like jalāhāra are also described.