Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 41

Devanagari script

प्रेतत्वं च पिशा चत्वं न भवेत्तस्य देहिनः । जन्मजन्मनि राजेंद्र यो गतो द्वारकां पुरीम्

Transliteration

pretatvaṃ ca piśā catvaṃ na bhavettasya dehinaḥ | janmajanmani rājeṃdra yo gato dvārakāṃ purīm

Translation

O König der Könige: Für das verkörperte Wesen, das von Geburt zu Geburt in die Stadt Dvārakā gelangt ist, wird niemals das Los entstehen, ein Preta oder ein Piśāca, ein böswilliger Geist, zu werden.

Word by Word

• प्रेतत्वम्: state of being a preta (ghost)
• प्रेतत्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रेतत्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय-बोधक

• पिशाचत्वम्: state of being a piśāca (goblin)
• पिशाचत्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिशाचत्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation particle)

• भवेत्: would be/should occur
• भवेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

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

• देहिनः: of the embodied person
• देहिनः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देहिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (genitive dependent on तस्य: ‘of that embodied being’)

• जन्म: birth
• जन्म: Sambandha (Compound member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासाङ्ग (in compound)

• जन्मनि: in birth after birth
• जन्मनि: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अव्ययीभाव-समासः: जन्म-जन्मनि = ‘in each birth’ (reduplication sense)

• राजेन्द्र: O king of kings
• राजेन्द्र: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् + इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (कर्मधारय/षष्ठीभावः: राज्ञाम् इन्द्रः)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्धक-सर्वनाम

• गतः: has gone
• गतः: Karta (Predicate/कर्ता-समनाधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; गम् धातोः क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle)

• द्वारकाम्: to Dvārakā
• द्वारकाम्: Karma (Goal/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वारका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म/गत्यर्थकर्म), एकवचन

• पुरीम्: the city
• पुरीम्: Karma (Appositional object/समनाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; द्वारकां विशेषयति (apposition)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced from Prabhāsa-khaṇḍa narrative style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā-purī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Rājendra (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A reassuring scene: a king listens as a sage declares Dvārakā’s protection; behind them, a radiant vision of Dvārakā dispels shadowy preta/piśāca forms that dissolve into light, symbolizing the kṣetra’s safeguarding power.

Characters & Entities

• Dvārakā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage to Dvārakā is praised as a powerful puṇya that safeguards the soul’s post-mortem destiny, preventing degraded spirit-states and affirming the protective grace of a holy tīrtha across lifetimes.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā Purī (Dvārakā), celebrated in the Dvārakā-māhātmya section of the Prabhāsa-khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite (snāna, dāna, japa, vrata) is prescribed in this verse; the emphasized practice is simply going to (pilgrimage/visiting) Dvārakā.