Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 22

Devanagari script

प्रेतयोनिं गता ये च ये च कीटत्वमागताः । पच्यंते नरके ये च महारौरवसंज्ञके

Transliteration

pretayoniṃ gatā ye ca ye ca kīṭatvamāgatāḥ | pacyaṃte narake ye ca mahārauravasaṃjñake

Translation

حتى الذين سقطوا في حالِ البريتَا (preta)، والذين صاروا ديدانًا، والذين يُعذَّبون في الجحيم المسمّى مها-راورافا (Mahāraurava)—

Word by Word

• प्रेतयोनिम्: the state/womb of a preta (ghost)
• प्रेतयोनिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रेतयोनि (प्रातिपदिक; प्रेत + योनि)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; गत्यर्थक-क्रियायाः कर्म (destination as object)

• गताः: gone (to)
• गताः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गत (कृदन्त; गम् धातोः क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; भूतकालिक-विशेषणम् (those who have gone)

• ये: those who
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक-यः-तद् (relative pronoun)

• च: and
• च: Avyaya (Connector/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• ये: those who
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; पुनरुक्त-सम्बन्ध

• च: and
• च: Avyaya (Connector/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय

• कीटत्वम्: insect-hood (state of being a worm/insect)
• कीटत्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कीटत्व (प्रातिपदिक; कीट + त्व)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; कर्म (state attained)

• आगताः: having come/attained
• आगताः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आगत (कृदन्त; आ + गम् धातोः क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (ये)

• पच्यन्ते: are tormented (lit. cooked)
• पच्यन्ते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पच् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोगः (passive sense: are cooked/tormented)

• नरके: in hell
• नरके: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नरक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; अधिकरण

• ये: those who
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; कर्ता (of पच्यन्ते)

• च: and
• च: Avyaya (Connector/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय

• महारौरवसंज्ञके: called Mahāraurava
• महारौरवसंज्ञके: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महारौरवसंज्ञक (प्रातिपदिक; महा + रौरव + संज्ञक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (नरके)

Speaker

Sūta (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Cakratīrtha (contextual)

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A stark contrast tableau: shadowy beings in preta form, tiny worm-like embodiments, and sufferers in a fiery hellscape labeled Mahāraurava; above/aside, the luminous tīrtha waters symbolize a path of relief.

Characters & Entities

• Preta-yoni
• Mahāraurava (hell)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic dharma holds that ancestral rites can extend grace even to beings in severely afflicted post-death states.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is part of the Cakratīrtha māhātmya sequence in Dvārakā.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The prescription is implied in the surrounding verses: perform śrāddha and related offerings whose merit reaches even such suffering states.