Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 125

Devanagari script

प्रेतास्ते ये प्रकुर्वंति सशल्यं वासरं हरेः । पौर्णमासीद्वये प्राप्ते राका साग्निविवर्जिता

Transliteration

pretāste ye prakurvaṃti saśalyaṃ vāsaraṃ hareḥ | paurṇamāsīdvaye prāpte rākā sāgnivivarjitā

Translation

Ils deviennent des prétas : ceux qui, au jour sacré de Hari, accomplissent un rite « entaché d’épines » (saśalya). Lorsque deux observances de pleine lune se rencontrent, la pleine lune Rākā doit être célébrée sans le feu sacré, selon la règle.

Word by Word

• प्रेताः: ghosts; departed spirits
• प्रेताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रेत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• ते: those
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• ये: who
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सम्बन्धक (relative pronoun)

• प्रकुर्वन्ति: perform, do
• प्रकुर्वन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• सशल्यम्: with a defect; flawed
• सशल्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स-शल्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—स (सहित) + शल्य (दोष/कण्टक) = 'दोषयुक्तम्'

• वासरम्: day (time/day for rite)
• वासरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वासर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• हरेः: of Hari (Viṣṇu)
• हरेः: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• पौर्णमासी: full-moon day (Paurṇamāsī)
• पौर्णमासी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पौर्णमासी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (समास/व्युत्पत्तिः: पूर्णिमा-सम्बन्धिनी)

• द्वये: in the two (days/fortnights); in a pair
• द्वये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वि (संख्याप्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; 'द्वय' = pair; locative 'in the pair/twofold (period)'

• प्राप्ते: when (it is) reached/arrived
• प्राप्ते: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र + आप् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन, नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग (सप्तमी-एकवचन रूप); 'प्राप्ते' = 'when attained/when it has come'

• राका: Rākā (full-moon night/deity)
• राका: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• साग्निविवर्जिता: not devoid of fire; with fire present
• साग्निविवर्जिता: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स-अग्नि-विवर्जित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—स (सहित) + अग्नि + विवर्जित (क्त-प्रत्ययान्त) = 'अग्निसहित-रहित' (without excluding fire / not devoid of fire)

Speaker

Sūta (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā (Hari-vāsara; Rākā Pūrṇimā special rule)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A full moon over the sea at Dvārakā; two lunar discs subtly implied (confluence). Priests set aside the fire altar, performing a non-agni observance, while a warning tableau shows the preta consequence for thorn-tainted rites.

Characters & Entities

• Hari (Viṣṇu)
• Paurṇamāsī
• Rākā
• Agni (ritual fire)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Disrespecting Hari’s observance day through flawed rites is portrayed as spiritually disastrous; precision in vrata-timing is essential.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā, where Hari’s greatness frames the discussion of proper observances.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

When a double paurṇamāsī situation arises, the Rākā observance is described here as to be done without the agni component.