Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

ये पुनः पृष्ठदेशे तु हन्यते भयविक्लवाः । भुज्यमानाः परैस्ते च प्रेताः स्युस्त्रिदशाधिप

Transliteration

ye punaḥ pṛṣṭhadeśe tu hanyate bhayaviklavāḥ | bhujyamānāḥ paraiste ca pretāḥ syustridaśādhipa

Translation

Mais ceux qui sont tués par derrière, tremblants de peur et dominés par autrui, deviennent des pretas (esprits errants), ô seigneur des Trente (Indra).

Word by Word

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

• पुनः: again; further
• पुनः: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: पुनरावृत्तिवाचक अव्यय (adverb: again/also)

• पृष्ठदेशे: in the rear; at the back
• पृष्ठदेशे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पृष्ठदेश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः—पृष्ठस्य देशः (back-region)

• तु: but; indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/विशेषार्थक अव्यय (particle: but/indeed)

• हन्यते: is killed
• हन्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √हन् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि प्रयोगः (is slain)

• भयविक्लवाः: panic-stricken
• भयविक्लवाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भय + विक्लव (प्रातिपदिके; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः—भयेन विक्लवाः (agitated by fear)

• भुज्यमानाः: being consumed; being preyed upon
• भुज्यमानाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भुज्यमान (कृदन्त; √भुज् (धातु) + शानच्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; वर्तमानकाले कर्मणि कृदन्त (present passive participle: being enjoyed/consumed)

• परैः: by others; by enemies
• परैः: Karana (Instrument/Agent in passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन

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

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय

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

• स्युः: would be; become
• स्युः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• त्रिदशाधिप: O lord of the gods (Indra)
• त्रिदशाधिप: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रिदश + अधिप (प्रातिपदिके; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः—त्रिदशानाम् अधिपः (lord of the thirty gods)

Speaker

Viṣṇu

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dhārātīrtha (contextual)

Type: tirtha

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Indra (tridaśādhipa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A stark contrast is drawn: those struck from behind while fleeing in fear become pretas; imagery focuses on the moment of panic, the blow from behind, and the ensuing restless spirit-state.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Indra (Tridaśādhipa)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Cowardice and panic at death are portrayed as spiritually destabilizing, yielding preta-bhāva rather than auspicious gati—even within a tīrtha narrative.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dhārātīrtha remains the Adhyāya’s setting, though this verse focuses on the negative outcome for the fearful and fleeing.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a doctrinal statement about preta-gati.