Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 86

Devanagari script

मानुषेण दिनेनैव प्रेतलोके दिनं स्मृतम् । तस्माद्दिनेदिने देयं प्रेतायान्नं च वत्सरम्

Transliteration

mānuṣeṇa dinenaiva pretaloke dinaṃ smṛtam | tasmāddinedine deyaṃ pretāyānnaṃ ca vatsaram

Translation

Ein einziger Menschentag gilt als ein Tag in der Welt der Pretas; darum soll man dem Preta Tag für Tag Speise darbringen, ein ganzes Jahr lang.

Word by Word

• मानुषेण: by a human (measure)
• मानुषेण: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मानुष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण/Instrumental), एकवचन — Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• दिनेन: by a day
• दिनेन: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण/Instrumental), एकवचन — Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• एव: indeed/only
• एव: Sambandha/Emphasis (सम्बन्ध/निपातार्थ)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle) — Indeclinable particle

• प्रेतलोके: in the world of the departed (preta-world)
• प्रेतलोके: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रेत-लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (प्रेतस्य लोकः); पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (अधिकरण/Locative), एकवचन — Masculine, Locative, Singular

• दिनम्: a day
• दिनम्: Karma/Pratipādya (Object/Predicate complement)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• स्मृतम्: is said/remembered (as)
• स्मृतम्: Kriyā (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृ (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्तः—क्त (भूतकर्मणि/Passive past participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — PPP in -ta, Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• तस्मात्: therefore/from that
• तस्मात्: Hetu/Apādāna (Cause/Source)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तस्मात् इति अव्ययीभूत-प्रयोगः (ablatival adverb) — Indeclinable ‘therefore/from that’

• दिने: on a day
• दिने: Adhikaraṇa (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (अधिकरण/Locative), एकवचन — Neuter, Locative, Singular

• दिने: day by day (lit. on day on day)
• दिने: Adhikaraṇa (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (अधिकरण/Locative), एकवचन — Neuter, Locative, Singular

• देयम्: should be given
• देयम्: Vidhi (Obligation/विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्तः—यत्/तव्यत्-भाव (gerundive/obligatory); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Gerundive ‘to be given’, Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• प्रेताय: to the departed spirit
• प्रेताय: Sampradāna (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रेत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (सम्प्रदान/Dative), एकवचन — Masculine, Dative, Singular

• अन्नम्: food
• अन्नम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction) — ‘and’

• वत्सरम्: for a year
• वत्सरम्: Kāla-adhikaraṇa/Avadhi (Duration/कालावधि)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वत्सर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म/Accusative), एकवचन — Masculine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narrative frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A householder offers cooked rice and water daily with kuśa grass and a lamp, while a subtle preta-form receives relief as the sun marks the passing of days.

Characters & Entities

• Preta-loka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Consistent daily care through offerings is urged, recognizing the departed’s lived experience in the preta-state.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is named; it provides a dharma-rule about time and offerings for the preta.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Give food to the preta daily for one year.