Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 116

Devanagari script

प्रेतभावगतस्यापि यस्य श्राद्धं प्रदास्यति । गयाशिरसि वंशस्थस्तस्य मुक्तिर्भविष्यति

Transliteration

pretabhāvagatasyāpi yasya śrāddhaṃ pradāsyati | gayāśirasi vaṃśasthastasya muktirbhaviṣyati

Translation

Selbst wenn einer in den Zustand eines Preta gefallen ist: Wenn ein Nachkomme seiner Linie für ihn das Śrāddha in Gayāśiras darbringt, wird ihm Befreiung zuteil.

Word by Word

• प्रेतभावगतस्य: of one who has reached the state of a preta (departed spirit)
• प्रेतभावगतस्य: Sambandha (Genitive)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रेतभाव-गत (प्रातिपदिक; प्रेत + भाव + गत)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष ‘प्रेतभावे गतः’

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle)

• यस्य: whose
• यस्य: Sambandha (Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक (relative)

• श्राद्धम्: śrāddha rite
• श्राद्धम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• प्रदास्यति: will offer/give
• प्रदास्यति: Kriya (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-√दा (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• गयाशिरसि: at Gayaśiras
• गयाशिरसि: Adhikarana (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गयाशिरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष

• वंशस्थः: a descendant (one situated in the lineage)
• वंशस्थः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वंशस्थ (प्रातिपदिक; वंश + स्थ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष ‘वंशे स्थः’

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• मुक्तिः: liberation
• मुक्तिः: Karta (Subject complement)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• भविष्यति: will be/occur
• भविष्यति: Kriya (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भू (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

Speaker

Brahmā

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gayāśiras

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Nṛpa (King)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A descendant performs piṇḍadāna and śrāddha at Gayāśiras; pitṛs appear subtly in the sky, their preta-shadow dissolving into light as liberation is granted.

Characters & Entities

• Brahmā
• Gayāśiras (Gayā)
• Preta

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Lineage duty (vaṃśa-dharma) is portrayed as spiritually potent: descendants can uplift ancestors through śrāddha at a great tīrtha.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Gayāśiras (Gayā), singled out as a mokṣa-giving śrāddha site.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A descendant should perform śrāddha at Gayāśiras for an ancestor, even if that ancestor is in a preta condition.