Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 45

Devanagari script

गौतम उवाच । केन कर्मविपाकेन प्रेतत्वं व्रजते नरः । एतन्मे विस्तरेणैव यथावद्वक्तु मर्हथ

Transliteration

gautama uvāca | kena karmavipākena pretatvaṃ vrajate naraḥ | etanme vistareṇaiva yathāvadvaktu marhatha

Translation

Gautama sprach: Durch welche Reifung des Karma gelangt ein Mensch in den Zustand eines Preta? Bitte erklärt mir dies vollständig, der Ordnung gemäß und im Einzelnen.

Word by Word

• गौतमः: Gautama
• गौतमः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गौतम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• केन: by what
• केन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक सर्वनाम

• कर्मविपाकेन: by the fruition of karma
• कर्मविपाकेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्म + विपाक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (कर्मणः विपाकः)

• प्रेतत्वम्: the state of being a preta (ghost)
• प्रेतत्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रेतत्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• व्रजते: goes/attains
• व्रजते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: व्रज् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• मे: to me / my
• मे: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• विस्तरेण: in detail
• विस्तरेण: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विस्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणार्थे (adverbial instrumental)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Avyaya (Particle/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle/emphatic)

• यथावत्: properly, as it is
• यथावत्: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथावत् (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• वक्तु: to tell
• वक्तु: Prayojana/Anukriya (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (Infinitive)

• मर्हथ: you are able/you should
• मर्हथ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अर्ह् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Gautama

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pretas

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Gautama, intent and compassionate, asks for a detailed account of the karmic ripening that leads to preta existence; the scene shifts from household markers to metaphysical causality.

Characters & Entities

• Gautama
• Pretāḥ

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

After-death conditions are tied to karma; dharma inquiry seeks precise understanding to live rightly and avoid harmful outcomes.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa Kṣetra, the setting for this instructional dialogue within the māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; it introduces a doctrinal explanation of karmic causality leading to pretahood.