Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 7

Devanagari script

वयं प्रेता महाराज निवसामोऽत्र कानने । स्वकर्मजनिताद्दोषाद्दुःखेन महता वृताः

Transliteration

vayaṃ pretā mahārāja nivasāmo'tra kānane | svakarmajanitāddoṣādduḥkhena mahatā vṛtāḥ

Translation

„Wir sind Pretas, o großer König, und weilen in diesem Wald. Durch den Makel, der aus unseren eigenen Taten entstand, sind wir von gewaltigem Leid umhüllt.“

Word by Word

• वयम्: we
• वयम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, बहुवचन, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative plural)

• प्रेताः: ghosts/spirits (departed beings)
• प्रेताः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रेत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, बहुवचन, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Masculine, nominative plural)

• महाराज: O great king
• महाराज: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, एकवचन, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Masculine, vocative singular)

• निवसामः: we dwell/live
• निवसामः: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि + वस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), उत्तम-पुरुष, बहुवचन (1st person plural)

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• कानने: in the forest/grove
• कानने: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कानन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, एकवचन, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Neuter, locative singular)

• स्वकर्मजनितात्: arisen from one’s own actions
• स्वकर्मजनितात्: Hetu/Apadana (हेतु/अपादान)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्व + कर्म + जनित (कृदन्त; √जन्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग (दोष-विशेषण), एकवचन, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative singular); भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle)

• दोषात्: from the fault
• दोषात्: Apadana (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दोष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, एकवचन, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Masculine, ablative singular)

• दुःखेन: with suffering/pain
• दुःखेन: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुःख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, एकवचन, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Neuter, instrumental singular)

• महता: great
• महता: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, एकवचन, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Neuter, instrumental singular)

• वृताः: surrounded/covered
• वृताः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वृत (कृदन्त; √वृ ‘to cover/encompass’)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, बहुवचन, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Masculine, nominative plural); भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle)

Speaker

Eldest preta (māṃsādaḥ)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A king (महाराज/पार्थिव/भूमिप)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A king in regal attire meets three emaciated, shadowy pretas in a dense forest; the pretas speak of karmic fault and immense suffering; atmosphere is twilight, with dry leaves and eerie stillness.

Characters & Entities

• pretas
• King Vidūratha
• kānana (forest)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Suffering is portrayed as the fruit of one’s own karma, reinforcing moral accountability and the need for dharmic purification.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not specified yet; the verse establishes karmic suffering that Māhātmyas often resolve through tīrtha, dāna, and śrāddha-related remedies in subsequent passages.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it states the cause (svakarma-doṣa) and condition (great suffering) that later verses typically address with expiatory rites.