Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

एतस्मिन्नंतरे प्राप्ता भूतप्रेतनिशाचराः । पीत्वापीत्वा प्रनृत्यंति गायंति च हसंति च

Transliteration

etasminnaṃtare prāptā bhūtapretaniśācarāḥ | pītvāpītvā pranṛtyaṃti gāyaṃti ca hasaṃti ca

Translation

এই ফাঁকে ভূত, প্রেত ও নিশাচররা সেখানে এসে পড়ল; বারবার পান করে তারা নাচতে লাগল, গাইতে লাগল এবং হাসতে লাগল।

Word by Word

• एतस्मिन्: in this
• एतस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Location/time)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी विभक्ति; एकवचन

• अन्तरे: in the interval/meanwhile
• अन्तरे: Adhikarana (Temporal locus)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी विभक्ति; एकवचन; ‘एतस्मिन्’ इति सह (locative absolute sense: “in the meantime”)

• प्राप्ताः: arrived
• प्राप्ताः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + आप् (धातु) → प्राप्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past active/resultative participle); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; बहुवचन; कर्तृपद

• भूतप्रेतनिशाचराः: ghosts, spirits, and night-roamers
• भूतप्रेतनिशाचराः: Karta (Subject apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूत (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रेत (प्रातिपदिक) + निशाचर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः (द्वन्द्वः: भूताः च प्रेताः च निशाचराः च); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; बहुवचन

• पीत्वा: having drunk
• पीत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पा (धातु) + क्त्वा
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund); पूर्वकालिक क्रिया

• अपि: again/also
• अपि: Nipata (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; पुनरुक्ति/अपि-शब्दः (here: iterative/emphatic with repetition)

• पीत्वा: having drunk
• पीत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पा (धातु) + क्त्वा
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त; पुनरुक्त्या आवृत्तिः (having drunk again)

• प्रनृत्यन्ति: they dance
• प्रनृत्यन्ति: Kriya (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + नृत् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमानकाल/Present); प्रथमपुरुष; बहुवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• गायन्ति: they sing
• गायन्ति: Kriya (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गै (धातु)
• Form: लट्; प्रथमपुरुष; बहुवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक

• हसन्ति: they laugh
• हसन्ति: Kriya (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्; प्रथमपुरुष; बहुवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narrator)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Sārasvata-jala (now blood-like)

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Grotesque yet energetic spirits gather at the crimson water, repeatedly drinking, then whirling in wild dance, singing and laughing under a night sky.

Characters & Entities

• Bhūtas
• Pretas
• Niśācaras

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When sanctity is disturbed, impure forces rush in—highlighting the need for dhārmic conduct and protection of tīrthas.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The narrative continues around the Sārasvata tīrtha/waters whose extraordinary power draws even non-human beings.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription; the verse describes beings drinking and behaving wildly.