Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

अपि प्रेतत्वमापन्नान्किं पुनः स्वर्गसंस्थितान् । तत्क्षेत्रप्रभवा विप्रा अष्टवंशसमुद्भवाः

Transliteration

api pretatvamāpannānkiṃ punaḥ svargasaṃsthitān | tatkṣetraprabhavā viprā aṣṭavaṃśasamudbhavāḥ

Translation

Si même ceux qui sont tombés dans l’état de preta (esprit errant) peuvent être secourus, combien plus ceux qui sont déjà établis au ciel ! Tels sont les brāhmanes issus de ce champ sacré, nés de huit lignées.

Word by Word

• अपि: even, also
• अपि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle), अपि = even/also

• प्रेतत्वम्: state of being a preta (ghosthood)
• प्रेतत्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रेतत्व (प्रातिपदिक; प्रेत + त्व)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया/प्रथमा एकवचन (contextually object of implied verb)

• आपन्नान्: having attained, fallen into
• आपन्नान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आपन्न (कृदन्त; √आपद् (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया बहुवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृदन्त (past participle)

• किम्: what?
• किम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया/प्रथमा एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक सर्वनाम

• पुनः: again; moreover
• पुनः: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• स्वर्गसंस्थितान्: those situated in heaven
• स्वर्गसंस्थितान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वर्ग-सम्-स्थित (कृदन्त; √स्था (धातु) + क्त; उपसर्ग सम्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया बहुवचन; स्वर्गे संस्थित = in heaven situated

• तत्क्षेत्रप्रभवाः: originating from that sacred field/region
• तत्क्षेत्रप्रभवाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तत्-क्षेत्र-प्रभव (प्रातिपदिक; तत् + क्षेत्र + प्रभव)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा बहुवचन; विशेषण

• विप्राः: brahmins
• विप्राः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा बहुवचन

• अष्टवंशसमुद्भवाः: sprung from eight lineages
• अष्टवंशसमुद्भवाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अष्ट-वंश-समुद्भव (प्रातिपदिक; अष्ट + वंश + समुद्भव)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा बहुवचन; विशेषण; अष्टानां वंशानां समुद्भव = sprung from eight lineages

Speaker

Unspecified in snippet (within Śakra–Viṣṇu dialogue; likely Viṣṇu speaking)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra (pātra-mahimā of its brāhmaṇas)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A compassionate scene: offerings made through kṣetra-born brāhmaṇas; shadowy pretas are soothed and transformed, while luminous pitṛs in svarga are further honored.

Characters & Entities

• Preta
• Svarga
• Vipra
• Kṣetra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śrāddha and sacred-place rites are framed as having the capacity to remedy even difficult post-death conditions, emphasizing compassion and responsibility to ancestors.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The tīrtha-context of Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra in Nāgara Khaṇḍa, where such rites are said to be especially efficacious.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicitly, performing śrāddha through the recognized brāhmaṇas of the kṣetra (described as ‘eight-lineage’ brāhmaṇas).