Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

उपसर्गमृतानां च विषमृत्युमुपेयुषाम् । वह्निना तु प्रदग्धानां जलमृत्यु मुपेयुषाम्

Transliteration

upasargamṛtānāṃ ca viṣamṛtyumupeyuṣām | vahninā tu pradagdhānāṃ jalamṛtyu mupeyuṣām

Translation

Und auch für jene, die an Seuchen starben oder durch Gift den Tod fanden; für die vom Feuer Verbrannten und für die, die im Wasser den Tod fanden—(im śrāddha-Zusammenhang ist eine besondere Berücksichtigung angedeutet).

Word by Word

• उपसर्ग-मृतानाम्: of those who died due to illness/affliction
• उपसर्ग-मृतानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपसर्ग (प्रातिपदिक) + मृत (कृदन्त, √मृ (धातु))
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (Plural); पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine) — ‘उपसर्गेण मृत’ इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषसमासः; कृदन्तः: भूतकृदन्त/क्त (past passive participle sense)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• विष-मृत्युम्: death by poison
• विष-मृत्युम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष (प्रातिपदिक) + मृत्यु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine) — ‘विषेण मृत्यु’ इति तत्पुरुषः

• उपेयुषाम्: of those who met/underwent
• उपेयुषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उप-√इ (धातु) (गत्यर्थ)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (Plural); पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine) — कृदन्तः: क्त्वसु/लिट्-परस्मैपदीय-परिप्रयोगसम्भवः ‘उपेयुष्’ (past active participle sense: ‘having reached/undergone’)

• वह्निना: by fire
• वह्निना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वह्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular); पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine)

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विरोध/विशेषणार्थक-निपात (particle: but/indeed)

• प्रदग्धानाम्: of those who were burned
• प्रदग्धानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्र-√दह् (धातु)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (Plural); पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine) — कृदन्तः: क्त (past passive participle) ‘प्रदग्ध’ = burnt

• जल-मृत्युम्: death by water (drowning)
• जल-मृत्युम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल (प्रातिपदिक) + मृत्यु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine) — ‘जलेन मृत्यु’ इति तत्पुरुषः

• उपेयुषाम्: of those who met/underwent
• उपेयुषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उप-√इ (धातु) (गत्यर्थ)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन (Plural); पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine) — कृदन्तः: ‘उपेयुष्’ (past active participle sense)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; continuing classification of deaths for rites)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A symbolic panel of four apamṛtyu modes: epidemic (dark miasma), poison (serpent/blue vial), fire (flames), water (waves); a priest points to a śāstra list while the family prepares offerings and a śānti kalasha.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Puranic dharma recognizes differing circumstances of death and adapts ancestral rites accordingly, emphasizing compassion and ritual appropriateness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is mentioned in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse lists types of deaths relevant to determining the appropriate śrāddha form, elaborated explicitly in the following verse.