Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

तस्य तन्निष्फलं भावि भुक्तं प्रेतैश्च राक्षसैः । इत्युक्त्वा भगवान्रुद्रस्तत्रैवां तरधीयत

Transliteration

tasya tanniṣphalaṃ bhāvi bhuktaṃ pretaiśca rākṣasaiḥ | ityuktvā bhagavānrudrastatraivāṃ taradhīyata

Translation

„Für ihn wird jene Handlung fruchtlos sein, und sein Opfer wird von Pretas und Rākṣasas verzehrt werden.“ So sprach der erhabene Rudra und verschwand sogleich an ebenjenem Ort.

Word by Word

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine/neuter), षष्ठी (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (singular)

• तत्: that (act/result)
• तत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (singular)

• निष्फलम्: fruitless
• निष्फलम्: Vidhaya (Predicate complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निष्फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (singular)

• भावि: will be, is to become
• भावि: Vidhaya (Predicate complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भाविन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (singular)

• भुक्तम्: will be eaten/consumed
• भुक्तम्: Kriya (Result state)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भुज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nom.), एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive sense)

• प्रेतैः: by ghosts/spirits
• प्रेतैः: Karana (Agent-instrument in passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रेत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), तृतीया (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (plural)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• राक्षसैः: by demons
• राक्षसैः: Karana (Agent-instrument in passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राक्षस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), तृतीया (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (plural)

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/समाप्त्यर्थक-अव्यय (quotative particle)

• उक्त्वा: having said
• उक्त्वा: Purvakala (Prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √वच् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund)

• भगवान्: the Blessed Lord
• भगवान्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भगवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (singular)

• रुद्रः: Rudra (Śiva)
• रुद्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (singular)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक-अव्यय (particle of emphasis)

• अन्तर्धीयत: disappeared, vanished
• अन्तर्धीयत: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अन्तर्-√धा (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/past), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (singular); आत्मनेपदम्

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating; Rudra is quoted within the narration

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kṣetrapāla protocol (general)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Rudra warns that acts done without worship become fruitless and offerings are consumed by pretas and rākṣasas; after speaking, he vanishes on the spot, leaving a charged silence.

Characters & Entities

• Rudra (Śiva)
• Pretas
• Rākṣasas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

If sacred rites are performed wrongly or without due propriety, their merit can be lost and the offering becomes vulnerable to impure forces.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse functions as a general Mahātmya-style admonition within the Kṣetrapāla section; a specific named tīrtha is not explicit in the snippet.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

An implied prescription: ensure correct, protected worship so offerings are not rendered “niṣphala” (fruitless) or seized by pretas/rākṣasas.