Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 33

भूताः प्रेताः पिशाचाश्च कूष्मांडाश्च विशेषतः । नागरं तु पुरो दृष्ट्वा तद्भयाद्यांति दूरतः

bhūtāḥ pretāḥ piśācāśca kūṣmāṃḍāśca viśeṣataḥ | nāgaraṃ tu puro dṛṣṭvā tadbhayādyāṃti dūrataḥ

«Bhūtas, pretas, piśācas, et surtout les kūṣmāṇḍas : voyant Nāgara devant eux, ils s’enfuient au loin, saisis de crainte.»

भूताःspirits/beings (bhūtas)
भूताः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootभूत (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन
प्रेताःghosts (pretas)
प्रेताः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootप्रेत (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन
पिशाचाःpiśācas
पिशाचाः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootपिशाच (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन
and
:
Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootच (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक
कूष्माण्डाःkūṣmāṇḍas
कूष्माण्डाः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootकूष्माण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन
and
:
Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootच (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक
विशेषतःespecially
विशेषतः:
Prakāra (Manner/प्रकार)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootविशेषतः (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; प्रकार/विशेषवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: especially)
नागरम्the citizen/the Nāgara (person)
नागरम्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootनागर (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन
तुbut/indeed
तु:
Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतु (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; विरोध/विशेषार्थक निपात (particle: but/indeed)
पुरःin front
पुरः:
Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootपुरः (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; स्थानवाचक (in front)
दृष्ट्वाhaving seen
दृष्ट्वा:
Pūrvakāla (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
TypeVerb
Rootदृश् (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा)
Formक्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive); अर्थः—दृष्ट्वा (having seen)
तद्भयात्from fear of that (him/it)
तद्भयात्:
Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
TypeNoun
Rootतद्-भय (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; समासः—तस्य भयम् (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)
यान्तिgo
यान्ति:
Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootया (धातु)
Formलट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन
दूरतःfar away
दूरतः:
Apādāna (Source/अपादान)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootदूरतः (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; स्थानवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (from afar/at a distance)

Brahmā

Tirtha: Nāgara (kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Scene: At dawn, the sacred city of Nāgara appears radiant; ghostly beings—bhūtas and pretas—scatter into the distance, dissolving like mist before sunlight.

N
Nāgara
B
Bhūtas
P
Pretas
P
Piśācas
K
Kūṣmāṇḍas

FAQs

Holiness is depicted as a protective presence—purity itself repels harmful forces without struggle.

Nāgara (the sacred city/region referenced in the Nāgara-khaṇḍa) is explicitly praised as a place that repels malevolent beings.

No direct ritual; the verse highlights the inherent protective merit (kṣetra-prabhāva) of the place.