Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 29

Devanagari script

राजोवाच । केन कर्मविपाकेन प्रेतत्वं जायते नृणाम् । एतन्मे सर्वमाचक्ष्व मांसाद मम पृच्छतः

Transliteration

rājovāca | kena karmavipākena pretatvaṃ jāyate nṛṇām | etanme sarvamācakṣva māṃsāda mama pṛcchataḥ

Translation

El Rey dijo: “¿Por qué maduración del karma surge el estado de preta para los seres humanos? Cuéntame todo esto por completo, oh devorador de carne, ya que te lo pregunto”.

Word by Word

• राजा: the king
• राजा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Speech-act/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• केन: by what
• केन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया (3), एकवचन; interrogative: by what?

• कर्म: action, deed
• कर्म: Sambandha (Compound-member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासाङ्ग

• विपाकेन: by the result, ripening
• विपाकेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विपाक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन

• कर्मविपाकेन: by the fruition of karma
• कर्मविपाकेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन् + विपाक (प्रातिपदिक-समास)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (karmasya vipākaḥ), पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन

• प्रेतत्वम्: the state of being a preta (ghost)
• प्रेतत्वम्: Karta (Logical subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रेतत्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन

• जायते: is born, arises
• जायते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• नृणाम्: of men
• नृणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), बहुवचन

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• मे: to me
• मे: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम)
• Form: षष्ठी/चतुर्थी (6/4), एकवचन; enclitic: my/to me

• सर्वम्: all, entirely
• सर्वम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; qualifying एतत्

• आचक्ष्व: tell, explain
• आचक्ष्व: Kriya (Request/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + चक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• मांसाद: O Māṃsāda
• मांसाद: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मांसाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8), एकवचन; proper name/vocative

• मम: of me / my
• मम: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम)
• Form: षष्ठी (6), एकवचन

• पृच्छतः: of (me) asking
• पृच्छतः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्र + छद्/पृच्छ् (धातु) (वर्तमान-कृदन्त)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त (present participle), पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), एकवचन; ‘of me who am asking’

Speaker

Rājā (King)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Māṃsāda / flesh-eater (addressed)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The king formally questions the flesh-eater/preta about karmic ripening that produces pretatva; a didactic dialogue tableau with attentive posture and hand gestures.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It frames the teaching as karma-vipāka: afterlife states are consequences of one’s actions, inviting a dhārmic examination of conduct.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this interrogative verse; it introduces a doctrinal explanation within the Tīrthamāhātmya setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; it is a question that leads into rules of conduct and consequences.