Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 48

Devanagari script

श्लेष्ममूत्रपुरीषाणि ये क्षिपन्ति सरोवरे । प्रेतत्वं ते समासाद्य विचरंति च मानवाः

Transliteration

śleṣmamūtrapurīṣāṇi ye kṣipanti sarovare | pretatvaṃ te samāsādya vicaraṃti ca mānavāḥ

Translation

Ceux qui jettent crachats, urine ou excréments dans un lac sacré tombent dans la condition de preta et errent ensuite.

Word by Word

• श्लेष्ममूत्रपुरीषाणि: phlegm, urine, and feces
• श्लेष्ममूत्रपुरीषाणि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्लेष्मन् + मूत्र + पुरीष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व (श्लेष्म च मूत्रं च पुरीषं च)

• ये: those who
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• क्षिपन्ति: throw
• क्षिपन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: क्षिप् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• सरोवरे: in a lake
• सरोवरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सरोवर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• प्रेतत्वम्: preta-hood
• प्रेतत्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रेतत्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• समासाद्य: having attained
• समासाद्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-√सद् (धातु)
• Form: ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त (absolutive/gerund), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having attained)

• विचरन्ति: wander
• विचरन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-चर् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• च: and
• च: Avyaya (Particle/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक निपात (conjunction)

• मानवाः: humans
• मानवाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मानव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

Speaker

Preta(s) (as narrators/instructors within the episode)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A serene sacred lake with steps and pilgrims; one offender pollutes the water, while divine guardians and preta-shadows appear, contrasting purity and defilement.

Characters & Entities

• Prabhāsa-kṣetra
• Sarovara (sacred lake)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A tīrtha must be protected from pollution; disrespecting sacred waters is treated as grave adharma with severe post-death consequences.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra and its sacred sarovaras (lakes/ponds) within the Prabhāsakṣetra-māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A negative injunction: do not defile sacred water-bodies by discarding bodily waste into them.