Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

शूद्रान्नेनोदरस्थेन ब्राह्मणो म्रियते यदि । षण्मासाभ्यन्तरे विप्रः पिशाचः सोऽभिजायते

Transliteration

śūdrānnenodarasthena brāhmaṇo mriyate yadi | ṣaṇmāsābhyantare vipraḥ piśācaḥ so'bhijāyate

Translation

หากพราหมณ์ตายทั้งที่อาหารศูทรยังค้างอยู่ในท้อง ภายในหกเดือนพราหมณ์ผู้นั้นย่อมเกิดเป็นปิศาจ (วิญญาณร้าย)

Word by Word

• शूद्रान्नेन: by/with Śūdra’s food
• शूद्रान्नेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शूद्र + अन्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (शूद्रस्य अन्नम्)

• उदरस्थेन: being in the stomach
• उदरस्थेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उदरस्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (being in the belly)

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

• म्रियते: dies
• म्रियते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √मृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• यदि: if
• यदि: Sambandha/Particle
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्तार्थक-अव्यय (if)

• षण्मासाभ्यन्तरे: within six months
• षण्मासाभ्यन्तरे: Adhikarana (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: षण्मास + अभ्यन्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (षण्मासस्य अभ्यन्तरे = within six months)

• विप्रः: the Brahmin
• विप्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• पिशाचः: a piśāca (ghoul)
• पिशाचः: Karta-Predicative (समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिशाच (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विधेय (predicate)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अभिजायते: is born (as)
• अभिजायते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √जन् (धातु) + अभि- (उपसर्ग)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

Speaker

Antyaja (contextual continuation)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A dying ritualist with a dark, smoky aura from impure food; within a liminal cremation-ground vision, a piśāca form emerges—serving as a moral allegory.

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇa
• Piśāca

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The verse underscores the seriousness with which the text treats ritual purity, portraying severe post-mortem consequences.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsakṣetra is the contextual setting of the māhātmya, though the verse is a general warning.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

An implied prescription: avoid the stated forbidden food, especially for those maintaining ritual status.