Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

मया प्रेतगणादेव निर्दिष्टास्तस्य पूरणे । मातृसंरक्ष्यमाणं तच्छक्यं चैतन्न पूरितुम्

Transliteration

mayā pretagaṇādeva nirdiṣṭāstasya pūraṇe | mātṛsaṃrakṣyamāṇaṃ tacchakyaṃ caitanna pūritum

Translation

En vérité, j’ai moi-même assigné la troupe des preta à la tâche de le combler ; mais, puisque ce lieu est gardé par les Mères (Mātṛ), il est impossible de le remplir.

Word by Word

• मया: by me
• मया: करण (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (pronoun), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• प्रेतगणात्: from the host of pretas (spirits)
• प्रेतगणात्: अपादान (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रेत + गण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन (Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (प्रेतानां गणः)

• एव: indeed/only
• एव: सम्बन्ध/निपात (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle/emphasis)

• निर्दिष्टाः: were indicated/assigned
• निर्दिष्टाः: कर्मणि-प्रयोगे कर्तृसदृश-विशेष्य (Predicate participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि + दिश् (धातु) → निर्दिष्ट (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)

• तस्य: of that/its
• तस्य: सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (pronoun), षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)

• पूरणे: in the filling/completion
• पूरणे: अधिकरण (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular)

• मातृसंरक्ष्यमाणम्: being protected by the Mothers
• मातृसंरक्ष्यमाणम्: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मातृ + सम् + रक्ष् (धातु) → संरक्ष्यमाण (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: वर्तमानकर्मणि कृदन्त (present passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (मातृभिः संरक्ष्यमाणम्)

• तत्: that
• तत्: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (pronoun), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular)

• शक्यम्: possible
• शक्यम्: विधेय-विशेषण (Predicative adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शक्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular)

• च: and
• च: समुच्चय (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय (conjunction)

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: कर्म/विषय (Object/Topic)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (pronoun), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन (Singular)

• न: not
• न: निषेध (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध (negation particle)

• पूरितुम्: to fill/complete
• पूरितुम्: क्रियार्थ (Infinitival complement)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पूर् (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (infinitive), क्रियार्थ (purpose/action)

Speaker

Leader/commander among the spirits (pretagaṇa) speaking to King Kuśa (deduced from narrative continuity)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A shadowy host of pretas laboring to fill or cover a pit/space, yet an unseen circle of Mātṛkās’ protective power prevents completion; the ground appears sealed by divine energy.

Characters & Entities

• Pretagaṇa
• Mātṛgaṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Where divine guardianship is established, adharmic projects fail—sanctity is not merely symbolic but actively defended.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A Nāgarakhaṇḍa tīrtha/kṣetra explicitly said to be protected by the Mātṛs; the exact place-name is not included in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription; it emphasizes the protective status of the site under the Mātṛs.