Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 41

Devanagari script

पश्य प्रेतत्वनिर्मुक्ता मत्प्रसादाद्द्विजोत्तम । आकाशे गरुडारूढास्तव पूर्वपितामहाः

Transliteration

paśya pretatvanirmuktā matprasādāddvijottama | ākāśe garuḍārūḍhāstava pūrvapitāmahāḥ

Translation

Behold, O best of brāhmaṇas—by My grace your former forefathers have been freed from the state of preta; in the sky they are mounted upon Garuḍa.

Word by Word

• पश्य: see! behold!
• पश्य: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• प्रेतत्वनिर्मुक्ताः: freed from the state of being a preta
• प्रेतत्वनिर्मुक्ताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रेतत्वनिर्मुक्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; मुच् धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; भूतकर्मणि-क्त (past passive participle) 'निर्मुक्त'; तत्पुरुष-समास (प्रेतत्वात् निर्मुक्ताः)

• मत्प्रसादात्: from my grace
• मत्प्रसादात्: Hetu/Apadana (Cause/Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मत्प्रसाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (मत् + प्रसादः)

• द्विजोत्तम: O best of Brahmins
• द्विजोत्तम: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विजोत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-प्रथमा (Vocative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (द्विज + उत्तम)

• आकाशे: in the sky
• आकाशे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आकाश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• गरुडारूढाः: mounted on Garuḍa
• गरुडारूढाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गरुडारूढ (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; रुह् धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; क्त (past passive participle) 'आरूढ'; तत्पुरुष (गरुडम् आरूढाः)

• तव: your
• तव: Sambandha (Possessor/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, त्रिलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• पूर्वपितामहाः: your former ancestors
• पूर्वपितामहाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूर्वपितामह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; कर्मधारय (पूर्वाः पितामहाः)

Speaker

Śrī Kṛṣṇa

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: In the sky above the temple spires, radiant ancestral figures appear, freed from preta-state, seated upon or accompanied by Garuḍa; below, Kṛṣṇa points upward as the devotee witnesses the miracle in awe.

Characters & Entities

• Śrī Kṛṣṇa
• Candraśarman
• Garuḍa
• Pitāmahas
• Preta

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Lord’s grace can transform even difficult post-death conditions, granting liberation and auspicious ascent.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā, as the sacred setting where Kṛṣṇa bestows visible proof of ancestral uplift.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse emphasizes grace (prasāda) as the efficacious power behind rites and devotion; no separate rite is newly introduced.