Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 26

Devanagari script

ततः स भोजनं चक्रे क्षुधार्तश्च पपौ जलम् । भयं त्यक्त्वा सुविश्रब्धः प्रेतराजस्य शासनात्

Transliteration

tataḥ sa bhojanaṃ cakre kṣudhārtaśca papau jalam | bhayaṃ tyaktvā suviśrabdhaḥ pretarājasya śāsanāt

Translation

Alors il prépara le repas et, tourmenté par la faim, but de l’eau. Rejetant la crainte, il devint paisible et confiant, selon l’ordre du Roi des Prétas.

Word by Word

• ततः: then
• ततः: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनन्तरार्थ (then)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• भोजनम्: meal
• भोजनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भोजन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• चक्रे: did; made
• चक्रे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect); प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• क्षुधार्तः: afflicted by hunger
• क्षुधार्तः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्षुधा + आर्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण — ‘क्षुधया आर्तः’ (afflicted by hunger)

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

• पपौ: drank
• पपौ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पा (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect); प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• जलम्: water
• जलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• भयम्: fear
• भयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• त्यक्त्वा: having abandoned
• त्यक्त्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: त्यज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); अव्ययकृदन्त (having abandoned)

• सुविश्रब्धः: fully reassured
• सुविश्रब्धः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु + विश्रब्ध (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √श्रभ्/श्रन्भ् with vi-)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण — ‘सु-विश्रब्धः’ (well-confident/fully reassured)

• प्रेतराजस्य: of the king of ghosts
• प्रेतराजस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रेत + राज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन — ‘प्रेतानां राजा’ (king of ghosts)

• शासनात्: from the command; due to the order
• शासनात्: Apadana (Source/Cause/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शासन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), एकवचन (ablative singular)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narration within Nāgara-khaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The traveler cooks and eats, then drinks water with relief; his tense posture softens into calm as the preta-king’s command guarantees safety; the eerie court recedes into quiet order.

Characters & Entities

• Preta-rāja
• Śūdra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma performed with trust (even amid fear) restores steadiness and opens the way for auspicious outcomes.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not specified in this verse; it continues the episode that supports the tīrtha-māhātmya teaching.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Practical atithi-sevā: preparing food and providing water, done without fear and with composure.