Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 51

Devanagari script

यस्मादभक्ष्यं मांसं वै ब्राह्मणानां परं स्मृतम् । त्वयोपहृतमस्माकं सुगुप्तं भक्ष्यसंयुतम्

Transliteration

yasmādabhakṣyaṃ māṃsaṃ vai brāhmaṇānāṃ paraṃ smṛtam | tvayopahṛtamasmākaṃ suguptaṃ bhakṣyasaṃyutam

Translation

کیونکہ برہمنوں کے لیے گوشت کو سراسر ممنوع بتایا گیا ہے؛ پھر بھی تم نے اسے ہمیں لا کر دیا—خوب چھپا کر، حلال خوراک میں ملا کر۔

Word by Word

• yasmāt: because of which / since
• yasmāt: Hetu/Apādāna (Cause/Source)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (pronoun), नपुंसकलिङ्गे/पुंलिङ्गे, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन (Singular); सम्बन्धार्थे ‘यस्मात्’ = ‘because/from which’

• abhakṣyam: not to be eaten; forbidden
• abhakṣyam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a- + bhakṣya (प्रातिपदिक; √bhakṣ (धातु) ‘to eat’)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular); निषेध-उपसर्ग ‘a-’ (negative)

• māṃsam: meat
• māṃsam: Karma/Pradhāna (Object/Topic)
• Type: Noun
• Root: māṃsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular)

• vai: indeed
• vai: Sambandha/Emphasis (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vai (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अव्यय; बलार्थ/निश्चयार्थ (emphasis/indeed)

• brāhmaṇānām: of the Brahmins
• brāhmaṇānām: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brāhmaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (Plural)

• param: supreme; highest
• param: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular); ‘supreme/most’

• smṛtam: is regarded/remembered
• smṛtam: Kriyā (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √smṛ (धातु) + kta (क्त)
• Form: कृदन्त (past passive participle), क्त-प्रत्यय; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मणि-भाव (passive sense): ‘is remembered/considered’

• tvayā: by you
• tvayā: Karaṇa/Kartṛ (Agent/Instrument in passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (pronoun), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• upahṛtam: brought/offered
• upahṛtam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: upa- + √hṛ (धातु) + kta (क्त)
• Form: कृदन्त (past passive participle), क्त-प्रत्यय; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; उपसर्ग ‘upa-’ (towards/near)

• asmākam: of us / for us
• asmākam: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (pronoun), षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (Plural)

• suguptam: well-hidden; well-protected
• suguptam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: su- + gupta (प्रातिपदिक; √gup (धातु) ‘to protect’)
• Form: कृदन्त/विशेषण; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; उपसर्ग ‘su-’ (well)

• bhakṣya-saṃyutam: mixed/combined with edible food
• bhakṣya-saṃyutam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhakṣya (प्रातिपदिक; √bhakṣ) + saṃyuta (प्रातिपदिक; saṃ- + √yuj (धातु) + kta)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (determinative): ‘भक्ष्येण संयुतम्’; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

Speaker

Brāhmaṇas (addressing the Ocean)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādevī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The brāhmaṇas articulate the charge: meat is utterly forbidden for them, yet the Ocean brought it concealed, mixed with permissible foods—an accusation scene on the shore.

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇas
• Ocean (Samudra)
• Meat (māṃsa)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma includes vigilance: disguising adharma as permissible conduct is a grave deception with heavy consequences.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, framed as a dharma-revealing pilgrimage space where purity rules are emphasized.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite; the verse underscores dietary discipline (āhāra-śuddhi) as part of brāhmaṇic dharma.