Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 83

Devanagari script

न तेषां वंशजः कश्चित्प्रेतत्वं च गमिष्यति । प्राहुः सप्तपदीं मैत्रीं पंडिताः स्थिरबुद्धयः

Transliteration

na teṣāṃ vaṃśajaḥ kaścitpretatvaṃ ca gamiṣyati | prāhuḥ saptapadīṃ maitrīṃ paṃḍitāḥ sthirabuddhayaḥ

Translation

„Kein Nachkomme von ihnen wird je in den Zustand eines Preta geraten. Die Weisen, fest im Geist, erklären, dass Freundschaft durch die ‘sieben Schritte’ (saptapadī) begründet wird.“

Word by Word

• na: not
• na: Pratiṣedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (निषेध-निपात)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय (negation)

• teṣām: of them
• teṣām: Sambandha (Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक; षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• vaṃśajaḥ: descendant
• vaṃśajaḥ: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vaṃśaja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• kaścit: anyone
• kaścit: Karta (Qualifier of subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अनिश्चितवाचक (indefinite)

• preta-tvam: preta-hood (ghost-state)
• preta-tvam: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: preta (प्रातिपदिक) + -tva (तद्धित)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; भाववाचक तद्धितान्त

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (निपात)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक अव्यय

• gamiṣyati: will go to / attain
• gamiṣyati: Kriyā (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: gam (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• prāhuḥ: have declared
• prāhuḥ: Kriyā (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ah (धातु) + pra- (उपसर्ग)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• sapta-padīm: seven-stepped (i.e., firm/complete)
• sapta-padīm: Viśeṣaṇa
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sapta (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + padī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्विगु-समास: "सप्त पदानि यस्याः सा"; स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (of maitrīm)

• maitrīm: friendship
• maitrīm: Karma (Object of prāhuḥ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: maitrī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• paṇḍitāḥ: learned men
• paṇḍitāḥ: Karta (Subject of prāhuḥ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: paṇḍita (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• sthira-buddhayaḥ: steady-minded
• sthira-buddhayaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sthira (प्रातिपदिक) + buddhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहि: "स्थिरा बुद्धिर्येषां ते"; पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण (of paṇḍitāḥ)

Speaker

Paryuṣita

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (protective tīrtha context)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrimage-inquirer (contextual)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sage-like scholar gestures while explaining: the lineage is protected from preta-bhāva; beside him, two friends take seven steps together, symbolizing unbreakable bond.

Characters & Entities

• Paryuṣita
• Preta(s)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma performed at a powerful tīrtha safeguards not only ancestors but also descendants, and sacred bonds (like friendship) carry enduring moral force.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Prabhāsa-kṣetra locality associated with Pretatīrtha and the removal of preta-affliction.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicitly, continuing śrāddha and dhārmic observances at the site; additionally, the verse cites the dhārmic maxim of saptapadī establishing firm friendship.