Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

अथ तस्य महाशोकं स कृत्वा तदनंतरम् । चकार प्रेतकार्याणि निःशेषाणि प्रभक्तितः

Transliteration

atha tasya mahāśokaṃ sa kṛtvā tadanaṃtaram | cakāra pretakāryāṇi niḥśeṣāṇi prabhaktitaḥ

Translation

Alors, saisi d’une grande affliction pour lui, il accomplit aussitôt tous les rites dus au défunt—sans rien omettre et avec une dévotion pleine de respect.

Word by Word

• अथ: then/thereupon
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुक्रमसूचक/आरम्भसूचक (sequence/then)

• तस्य: of him/of that (person)
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठी (6th/Genitive); एकवचन

• महाशोकम्: great grief
• महाशोकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाशोक (प्रातिपदिक; महा + शोक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative); एकवचन

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

• कृत्वा: having done
• कृत्वा: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial to main verb/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund); पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having done)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative); एकवचन

• अनन्तरम्: immediately after
• अनन्तरम्: Adhikarana (Time locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अनन्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (temporal adverb)

• चकार: did/performed
• चकार: Kriya (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect); प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person); एकवचन

• प्रेतकार्याणि: funeral rites/rites for the departed
• प्रेतकार्याणि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रेतकार्य (प्रातिपदिक; प्रेत + कार्य)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative); बहुवचन

• निःशेषाणि: all, without remainder
• निःशेषाणि: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निःशेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative); बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifying प्रेतकार्याणि)

• प्रभक्तितः: with due devotion/according to proper devotion
• प्रभक्तितः: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रभक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (ablatival adverb); हेतौ/प्रकारे (by reason of/in the manner of)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narration within Tīrthamāhātmya; likely Skanda)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A grieving yet composed householder completes preta-kārya: offering piṇḍa and water, with ritual vessels, kusa grass, and a small fire or śrāddha setting near a sacred waterbody.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Completing funerary obligations with devotion is a central expression of dharma and gratitude, sanctifying both the doer and the departed.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse sits within a Tīrthamāhātmya frame, implying sacred support for rites, but it does not name a particular tīrtha in this line.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Performance of ‘pretakārya’—the complete set of post-death rites for the departed.