Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 42

Devanagari script

रसा रसैर्नियंतव्या न त्वेव लवणं रसैः । कृतान्नं च कृतान्नेन तिला धान्येन तत्समाः

Transliteration

rasā rasairniyaṃtavyā na tveva lavaṇaṃ rasaiḥ | kṛtānnaṃ ca kṛtānnena tilā dhānyena tatsamāḥ

Translation

诸味当以诸味相调而得节制，唯独盐不可用诸味来“调制”。熟食只可用熟食来相衡；同样，芝麻应以谷物为其相当之对等。

Word by Word

• रसाः: tastes/juices
• रसाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• रसैः: by tastes/juices
• रसैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• नियन्तव्याः: should be restrained
• नियन्तव्याः: Pradhana (Predicate complement/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नि + यम् (धातु) + तव्यत् (कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; तव्यत्-प्रत्यय (gerundive: to be restrained)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Discourse/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, निषेध-निपात (negation)

• तु: but
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, विरोध/विशेषार्थक-निपात (adversative particle)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Discourse/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अवधारण-निपात (emphatic particle)

• लवणम्: salt
• लवणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लवण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), एकवचन

• रसैः: by tastes/juices
• रसैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• कृतान्नम्: cooked food
• कृतान्नम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृत + अन्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd Nom/Acc), एकवचन; कर्मधारय (कृतम् अन्नम् = cooked food)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चय-निपात (conjunction)

• कृतान्नेन: with cooked food
• कृतान्नेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृत + अन्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; कर्मधारय

• तिलाः: sesame seeds
• तिलाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• धान्येन: with grain
• धान्येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धान्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• तत्समाः: equal to that
• तत्समाः: Pradhana (Predicate complement/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तत् + सम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष (तस्य समाः = equal to that)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) speaking in the Prabhāsa-kṣetra narrative context

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A didactic tableau: bowls of the six tastes, a prominent heap of salt crystals marked as ‘exception’, plates of cooked food paired with cooked food, sesame and grain shown as matched equivalents.

Characters & Entities

• Prabhāsa-kṣetra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma values restraint and proper equivalence—especially in food conduct and offerings—so that actions remain balanced and righteous.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, whose māhātmya includes detailed dharma-guidelines for living and giving.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A rule of proper equivalence in offerings/consumption: cooked food with cooked food, and sesame (tilā) with grain (dhānya) as the fitting counterpart.