Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

केचिच्चतुर्थं कुर्वंति प्रेतं च स्वपितुस्ततः । पितुः पूर्वं भवेच्छ्राद्धं परं नैतन्मतं मम

Transliteration

keciccaturthaṃ kurvaṃti pretaṃ ca svapitustataḥ | pituḥ pūrvaṃ bhavecchrāddhaṃ paraṃ naitanmataṃ mama

Translation

Certains accomplissent une quatrième part puis considèrent leur propre père comme un preta (esprit errant). Selon ce procédé, le śrāddha pour le père viendrait d’abord ; mais telle n’est pas mon opinion.

Word by Word

• केचित्: some (people)
• केचित्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• चतुर्थम्: the fourth (rite)
• चतुर्थम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: caturtha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• कुर्वन्ति: do/perform
• कुर्वन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (Plural)

• प्रेतम्: the departed spirit
• प्रेतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: preta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चयार्थक (conjunction)

• स्वपितुः: of one’s own father
• स्वपितुः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sva + pitṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारयसमास (स्वः पिताऽस्य), पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन (Singular)

• ततः: then/thereafter
• ततः: Adhikarana (Adverbial/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, क्रमवाचक (thereafter)

• पितुः: of the father
• पितुः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pitṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन (Singular)

• पूर्वम्: before/first
• पूर्वम्: Adhikarana (Adverbial/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: pūrva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययप्रयोग (adverbial accusative)

• भवेत्: should be/should occur
• भवेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• श्राद्धम्: śrāddha rite
• श्राद्धम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śrāddha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• परम्: otherwise/further
• परम्: Adhikarana (Adverbial/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययप्रयोग (adverbial)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• मतम्: opinion/view
• मतम्: Pratijna/Predicate (Predicate nominal)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mata (प्रातिपदिक; from √man)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• मम: my
• मम: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrim/householder audience (implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A śrāddha setting with a householder and officiating brāhmaṇa debating procedure; a symbolic ‘preta’ marker is rejected, emphasizing correct ancestral order.

Characters & Entities

• preta
• pitṛ
• śrāddha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Not all popular ritual variations are endorsed; one should follow an authoritative, dharmic sequence rather than improvisation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The tīrtha context is general; no particular sacred place is named in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It rejects the practice of adding a “fourth” share and thereby classifying one’s father as a preta in the ritual sequence.