Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 29

Devanagari script

पिशाचत्वमनुप्राप्ताः कृमिकीटत्वमेव ये । अथ कालान्प्रवक्ष्यामि कथ्यमा नान्निबोध मे

Transliteration

piśācatvamanuprāptāḥ kṛmikīṭatvameva ye | atha kālānpravakṣyāmi kathyamā nānnibodha me

Translation

Selbst jene, die den Zustand eines Piśāca erlangt haben, und jene, die zu Würmern und Insekten geworden sind—nun werde ich die rechten Zeiten für die Riten darlegen; verstehe, was ich dich lehren will.

Word by Word

• पिशाचत्वम्: state of being a piśāca (ghoulhood)
• पिशाचत्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिशाचत्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• अनुप्राप्ताः: having attained
• अनुप्राप्ताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनु + प्र + आप् (धातु) → अनुप्राप्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त/PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषण

• कृमिकीटत्वम्: state of being worms and insects
• कृमिकीटत्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृमि (प्रातिपदिक) + कीट (प्रातिपदिक) + त्व (तद्धित)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; द्वन्द्व-समास (कृमि+कीट) + तद्धित ‘त्व’ (state)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (particle: indeed/only)

• ये: who (those who)
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक-सर्वनाम

• अथ: then/now
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अनन्तर/प्रस्तावार्थक-अव्यय (then/now)

• कालान्: times (occasions)
• कालान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• प्रवक्ष्यामि: I shall declare
• प्रवक्ष्यामि: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + वच् (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), उत्तमपुरुष (1st), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• कथ्यमानान्: being stated (as I state them)
• कथ्यमानान्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कथ् (धातु) → कथ्यमान (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: वर्तमानकर्मणि कृदन्त (शानच्/मान), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; ‘being told’—कालान् इति विशेषण

• अनुबोध: understand / heed
• अनुबोध: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अनु + बुध् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• मे: me / my
• मे: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी/चतुर्थी (Genitive/Dative), एकवचन; ‘my/to me’

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Prabhāsa-khaṇḍa māhātmya narration style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A solemn teacher-narrator in Prabhāsa addresses a listener near the sea-side tīrtha, evoking compassion for beings fallen into piśāca and insect births, then raising a hand to announce the sacred calendar of rites.

Characters & Entities

• Piśāca
• Kṛmi
• Kīṭa
• Śrāddha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual compassion extends to all post-death conditions; correct timing and performance of rites can aid even the most afflicted states.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, in whose māhātmya the timings for ancestral rites are being taught.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A transition into listing prescribed kālas—authorized occasions for Śrāddha and related offerings.