Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 125

Devanagari script

प्रेतास्ते ये प्रकुर्वंति सशल्यं वासरं हरेः । पौर्णमासीद्वये प्राप्ते राका साग्निविवर्जिता

Transliteration

pretāste ye prakurvaṃti saśalyaṃ vāsaraṃ hareḥ | paurṇamāsīdvaye prāpte rākā sāgnivivarjitā

Translation

Se vuelven pretas: aquellos que, en el día sagrado de Hari, realizan un rito “manchado de espinas” (saśalya). Cuando coinciden dos observancias de luna llena, la luna llena Rākā debe celebrarse sin el fuego sagrado, según la prescripción.

Word by Word

• प्रेताः: ghosts; departed spirits
• प्रेताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रेत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• ते: those
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• ये: who
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सम्बन्धक (relative pronoun)

• प्रकुर्वन्ति: perform, do
• प्रकुर्वन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• सशल्यम्: with a defect; flawed
• सशल्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स-शल्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—स (सहित) + शल्य (दोष/कण्टक) = 'दोषयुक्तम्'

• वासरम्: day (time/day for rite)
• वासरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वासर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• हरेः: of Hari (Viṣṇu)
• हरेः: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• पौर्णमासी: full-moon day (Paurṇamāsī)
• पौर्णमासी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पौर्णमासी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (समास/व्युत्पत्तिः: पूर्णिमा-सम्बन्धिनी)

• द्वये: in the two (days/fortnights); in a pair
• द्वये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वि (संख्याप्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; 'द्वय' = pair; locative 'in the pair/twofold (period)'

• प्राप्ते: when (it is) reached/arrived
• प्राप्ते: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र + आप् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन, नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग (सप्तमी-एकवचन रूप); 'प्राप्ते' = 'when attained/when it has come'

• राका: Rākā (full-moon night/deity)
• राका: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• साग्निविवर्जिता: not devoid of fire; with fire present
• साग्निविवर्जिता: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स-अग्नि-विवर्जित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—स (सहित) + अग्नि + विवर्जित (क्त-प्रत्ययान्त) = 'अग्निसहित-रहित' (without excluding fire / not devoid of fire)

Speaker

Sūta (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā (Hari-vāsara; Rākā Pūrṇimā special rule)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A full moon over the sea at Dvārakā; two lunar discs subtly implied (confluence). Priests set aside the fire altar, performing a non-agni observance, while a warning tableau shows the preta consequence for thorn-tainted rites.

Characters & Entities

• Hari (Viṣṇu)
• Paurṇamāsī
• Rākā
• Agni (ritual fire)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Disrespecting Hari’s observance day through flawed rites is portrayed as spiritually disastrous; precision in vrata-timing is essential.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā, where Hari’s greatness frames the discussion of proper observances.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

When a double paurṇamāsī situation arises, the Rākā observance is described here as to be done without the agni component.