Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 36
प्रेता ऊचुः । प्राप्ते भोजनकाले तु यत्र युद्धं प्रवर्तते । तस्यान्नस्य रसं सर्वं भुंजामो द्विजसत्तम
pretā ūcuḥ | prāpte bhojanakāle tu yatra yuddhaṃ pravartate | tasyānnasya rasaṃ sarvaṃ bhuṃjāmo dvijasattama
Les pretas dirent : « Quand vient l’heure du repas, là où éclate un combat, nous absorbons toute la “saveur-essence” (rasa) de cette nourriture, ô le meilleur des deux-fois-nés. »
Pretas
Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra
Type: kshetra
Listener: Gautama
Scene: Ethereal pretas hover over a battlefield at mealtime, drawing luminous ‘rasa’ threads from cooked food while warriors clash; the visible eaters are left with tasteless remnants—an unseen economy of suffering.
FAQs
Violence and disorder distort even nourishment; pretas subsist on subtle remnants rather than wholesome food, reflecting a diminished state.
Prabhāsakṣetra remains the narrative locus; the verse explains preta-condition rather than a localized shrine.
No explicit rite; indirectly it discourages violent contexts and underscores the value of pure, peaceful living.