Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 41

Devanagari script

यैर्हृतं परवित्तं च कलत्रं च दुरात्मभिः । नव श्राद्धानि तेषां चेत्तस्मान्मुक्तिः प्रजायते

Transliteration

yairhṛtaṃ paravittaṃ ca kalatraṃ ca durātmabhiḥ | nava śrāddhāni teṣāṃ cettasmānmuktiḥ prajāyate

Translation

Pour ces méchants qui ont pris la richesse d'autrui — et même la femme d'autrui : si neuf śrāddhas sont accomplis pour eux, alors la libération de ce tourment survient.

Word by Word

• यैः: by whom
• यैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instr./3rd), बहुवचन; सम्बन्धक (relative pronoun)

• हृतम्: stolen, taken away
• हृतम्: Kriya (Verbal notion/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• परवित्तम्: another’s wealth
• परवित्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर + वित्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (परस्य वित्तम्)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• कलत्रम्: wife, spouse
• कलत्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कलत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय

• दुरात्मभिः: by wicked persons
• दुरात्मभिः: Karana (Agent-instrument in passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुरात्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; कर्मधारय (दुष्टः आत्मा यस्य)

• नव: nine
• नव: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन; संख्यावाचक विशेषण

• श्राद्धानि: śrāddha rites
• श्राद्धानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• चेत्: if
• चेत्: Sambandha (Condition marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: चेत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; शर्तार्थक निपात (conditional particle)

• तस्मात्: from that (thereby)
• तस्मात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Abl./5th), एकवचन

• मुक्तिः: release, liberation
• मुक्तिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• प्रजायते: arises, comes about
• प्रजायते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + जन् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A moral tableau: sinners weighed down by guilt and suffering, while a householder performs śrāddha—piṇḍa, tila, water-libations—invoking relief and release.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even grave wrongdoing has consequences, yet śrāddha performed by the living is portrayed as a compassionate means of easing the departed’s suffering.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse emphasizes śrāddha’s efficacy within a tīrtha-māhātmya setting but does not name a particular location.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Performing nine śrāddhas for such departed persons is said to generate their release from torment.