Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 23
विष्णुरुवाच । असंशयं सहस्राक्ष हता युद्धे पराङ्मुखाः । प्रेतत्वे यांति ते सर्वे देवा वा मानुषा यदि
viṣṇuruvāca | asaṃśayaṃ sahasrākṣa hatā yuddhe parāṅmukhāḥ | pretatve yāṃti te sarve devā vā mānuṣā yadi
Viṣṇu dit : Sans aucun doute, ô Toi aux mille yeux, ceux qui sont tués au combat en se détournant vont tous à l’état de preta, qu’ils soient Devas ou humains.
Viṣṇu
Tirtha: Dhārātīrtha (contextual)
Type: tirtha
Listener: Indra (Sahasrākṣa)
Scene: Vishnu delivers a definitive judgment to Indra (Sahasrākṣa): all who are slain while turned away in battle become pretas, whether devas or humans; the scene is judicial and final.
FAQs
Dharma is impartial: fleeing and being killed from behind leads to preta-gati regardless of status, emphasizing inner courage and right orientation.
Dhārātīrtha (as the Adhyāya’s tīrtha context), though this verse states a general dharmic rule.
None; it is a categorical teaching on gati.