Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 51

Devanagari script

प्रेतत्वं याति येनेदं त्वत्प्र सादात्सुदारुणम् । नाऽन्यथा मुक्तिरस्माकं भविष्यति कथंचन

Transliteration

pretatvaṃ yāti yenedaṃ tvatpra sādātsudāruṇam | nā'nyathā muktirasmākaṃ bhaviṣyati kathaṃcana

Translation

Durch deine Gnade ist dieser überaus schreckliche Zustand zur Daseinsform eines Preta geworden. Auf keine andere Weise wird für uns jemals Befreiung (mokṣa) möglich sein.

Word by Word

• प्रेतत्वम्: state of being a preta (ghosthood)
• प्रेतत्वम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रेत + त्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; तद्धितान्त (त्व) भाववाचक; ‘प्रेत-भावः’

• याति: goes, attains
• याति: Kriya (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• येन: by which
• येन: Karaṇa (Instrument/means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• त्वत्प्रसादात्: from your grace/favor
• त्वत्प्रसादात्: Apādāna (Source/cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद् (सर्वनाम) + प्रसाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (त्वत्-प्रसादः)

• सुदारुणम्: very dreadful
• सुदारुणम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु + दारुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying इदम्/प्रेतत्वम्-प्राप्ति)

• न: not
• न: Pratiṣedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध-निपात (negation particle)

• अन्यथा: otherwise
• अन्यथा: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अन्यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• मुक्तिः: liberation
• मुक्तिः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• अस्माकम्: of us
• अस्माकम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• भविष्यति: will be, will happen
• भविष्यति: Kriya (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• कथंचन: in any way at all
• कथंचन: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् + चन (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात-समुच्चय (indefinite/emphatic adverb)

Speaker

Unnamed preta (one among the pretas speaking to the king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A suffering preta, subtle-bodied and anxious, addresses the king with folded hands, acknowledging the king’s grace as the only bridge to liberation; the atmosphere is twilight-like and liminal.

Characters & Entities

• rājā (king)
• preta

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Liberation is not merely a change of condition; without the right means (especially dharmic agency and divine/saintly grace), mokṣa remains unattainable.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse sits within a Tīrthamāhātmya framework in Nāgarakhaṇḍa, but the snippet itself does not name a particular tīrtha; it emphasizes the existential plight that tīrtha-guided dharma aims to remedy.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual is prescribed in this verse; it underscores the necessity of a liberating means rather than detailing snāna, dāna, or japa.