Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 40

Devanagari script

एतत्ते सर्वमाख्यातं मया पार्थिवसत्तम । येन कर्मविपाकेन प्रेतः संजायते नरः

Transliteration

etatte sarvamākhyātaṃ mayā pārthivasattama | yena karmavipākena pretaḥ saṃjāyate naraḥ

Translation

Ô meilleur des rois, je t'ai maintenant raconté en entier comment, par le mûrissement de ses actes, un être humain en vient à naître en tant que preta.

Word by Word

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विषय-निर्देश (this)

• ते: to you
• ते: Sampradāna (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बोधनार्थ-सम्बन्ध (to you/your)

• सर्वम्: all; entirely
• सर्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; एतत्-विशेषणम्

• आख्यातम्: has been told/explained
• आख्यातम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + ख्या (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोगे विधेय

• मया: by me
• मया: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण/कर्तृ), एकवचन; कर्तृवाचक (by me)

• पार्थिवसत्तम: O best of kings
• पार्थिवसत्तम: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्थिव + सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-प्रथमा, एकवचन; सम्बोधन (vocative)

• येन: by which
• येन: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; साधन/हेतु-निर्देश (by which)

• कर्मविपाकेन: by the fruition/result of karma
• कर्मविपाकेन: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्म + विपाक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; करण/हेतु (instrument/cause)

• प्रेतः: a preta
• प्रेतः: Kartṛ-samānādhikaraṇa (Predicate/समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रेत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विधेय

• संजायते: is born/comes into being
• संजायते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + जन् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्ता

Speaker

Māṃsāda

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pārthiva-sattama (the King)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sage-like figure (Māṃsāda) addressing a seated king, concluding a discourse; palm-leaf manuscript or rosary in hand, indicating ‘complete exposition’.

Characters & Entities

• Māṃsāda
• Rāja (king)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The after-death condition is portrayed as a consequence of karma’s ripening; understanding causality prepares one to choose dharmic conduct.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse functions as doctrinal setup within the Tīrthamāhātmya context; no single tirtha is named in this line.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; it introduces the karmic rationale that will frame later prescriptions.