Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 27

Devanagari script

कुलानि प्रेतभूतानि सर्वाण्यपि हि तारयेत् । द्विजदेवप्रसादेन पितॄणां च प्रसादतः

Transliteration

kulāni pretabhūtāni sarvāṇyapi hi tārayet | dvijadevaprasādena pitṝṇāṃ ca prasādataḥ

Translation

Il délivre même toutes les lignées tombées dans l’état d’esprits preta. Par la grâce des brāhmaṇas—« dieux sur la terre »—et par la satisfaction des Pitṛs, cela s’accomplit.

Word by Word

• कुलानि: families/lineages
• कुलानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (accusative), बहुवचन

• प्रेतभूतानि: become as pretas/ghosts
• प्रेतभूतानि: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of kulāni/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रेत + भूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; कर्मधारय: 'प्रेतानि (इव) भूतानि' / 'preta-bhūta (ghost-like)'

• सर्वाणि: all
• सर्वाणि: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपवादार्थक-अव्यय (also/even)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: हेतौ/निश्चये अव्यय (particle: indeed/for)

• तारयेत्: should deliver/save
• तारयेत्: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √तॄ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; causative sense in usage

• द्विजदेवप्रसादेन: by the grace of brāhmaṇas and gods
• द्विजदेवप्रसादेन: Karaṇa (Instrument/cause/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज + देव + प्रसाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (instrumental), एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुष: 'द्विजानां देवानां च प्रसादः' (by the grace of brāhmaṇas and gods)

• पितॄणाम्: of the ancestors
• पितॄणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (genitive), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• प्रसादतः: through (their) favor
• प्रसादतः: Hetu (Cause/source/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रसाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (ablatival adverb): 'प्रसादात्' = from/through favor

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śūlabheda/Revā pañca-sthāna context

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Nṛpa (King)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A śrāddha scene at the riverbank: brāhmaṇas bless the devotee; in the background, dark, restless preta-forms dissolve into luminous ancestor forms ascending, indicating transformation through ritual grace.

Characters & Entities

• Pitṛs
• Brāhmaṇas (dvija-deva)
• Preta

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Rituals done with reverence to brāhmaṇas and ancestors can heal even severe post-death conditions and uplift the whole lineage.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Śūlabheda-tīrtha, within whose māhātmya these strong claims of preta-upliftment are made.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Śrāddha-related acts emphasizing brāhmaṇa honor (dvija-prasāda) and pitṛ-satisfaction (pitṛ-prasāda).