Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

प्रकर्षेण व्रजेद्यस्मात्तस्मात्प्रेतः प्रकीर्तितः । पुत्रेण भ्रात्रा पत्न्या वा तस्य कार्या सपिंडता

Transliteration

prakarṣeṇa vrajedyasmāttasmātpretaḥ prakīrtitaḥ | putreṇa bhrātrā patnyā vā tasya kāryā sapiṃḍatā

Translation

Weil er entschlossen „weitergeht“, wird er daher Preta (Geist des Verstorbenen) genannt. Für ihn soll der Ritus, ihn zum Sapinda zu machen, vollzogen werden—durch einen Sohn, oder durch einen Bruder, oder durch die Ehefrau.

Word by Word

• प्रकर्षेण: with intensity; strongly
• प्रकर्षेण: Karaṇa (Instrument/means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रकर्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचनम्; क्रियाविशेषणत्वेन (adverbial use)

• व्रजेत्: would go; should go
• व्रजेत्: Kriyā (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: व्रज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd person), एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• यस्मात्: from which; because of which
• यस्मात्: Apādāna (Source/ablative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, पञ्चमी-विभक्तिः (Ablative/5th), एकवचनम्

• तस्मात्: therefore; from that (reason)
• तस्मात्: Apādāna (Source/ablative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, पञ्चमी-विभक्तिः (Ablative/5th), एकवचनम्

• प्रेतः: a departed spirit; preta
• प्रेतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रेत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative/1st), एकवचनम्

• प्रकीर्तितः: is declared/called
• प्रकीर्तितः: Kriyā (Predicate/nominal predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + कीर्त् (धातु) → प्रकीर्तित (कृदन्त, क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्तः (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; कर्मणि-प्रयोगे विधेय-विशेषणम्

• पुत्रेण: by a son
• पुत्रेण: Karaṇa (Agent/means in passive sense)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचनम्

• भ्रात्रा: by a brother
• भ्रात्रा: Karaṇa (Agent/means in passive sense)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भ्रातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचनम्

• पत्न्या: by a wife
• पत्न्या: Karaṇa (Agent/means in passive sense)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पत्नी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचनम्

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-निपातः (disjunctive particle)

• तस्य: of him/that (preta)
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः (Genitive/6th), एकवचनम्

• कार्या: should be performed
• कार्या: Kriyā (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु) → कार्य (कृदन्त, यत्-प्रत्यय; विधेय-विशेषण)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative/1st), एकवचनम्; विधेय-विशेषणम् (to be done)

• सपिण्डता: the sapinda-relationship/rite of sapinda-connection
• सपिण्डता: Karta (Subject/thing to be done)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सपिण्डता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative/1st), एकवचनम्

Speaker

Bhartṛyajña

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ānarta

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A ritual scene at a ghat: piṇḍas on darbha, water offerings, and the family—son/brother/wife—performing sapiṇḍīkaraṇa for the departed; a subtle, ethereal preta figure suggested as being guided onward.

Characters & Entities

• preta
• sapiṇḍatā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual responsibility for the departed is not limited to a son; dharma provides compassionate alternatives within the family to ensure the preta is properly transitioned.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse is primarily ritual-instructional and does not name a specific tīrtha, though it occurs within a tīrtha-māhātmya setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Sapiṇḍatā/sapiṇḍīkaraṇa should be performed for the departed, and eligible performers include son, brother, or wife.