Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 41
राजोवाच । कृतेन कर्मणा येन न प्रेतो जायते नरः । तन्मे कीर्तय मांसाद विस्तरेण विशेषतः
rājovāca | kṛtena karmaṇā yena na preto jāyate naraḥ | tanme kīrtaya māṃsāda vistareṇa viśeṣataḥ
Sang Raja berkata: “Dengan perbuatan apakah seseorang tidak menjadi preta? Wahai Māṃsāda, nyatakanlah kepadaku dengan jelas, terperinci, dan dengan ketepatan khusus.”
Rāja (King)
Listener: Māṃsāda
Scene: The king rises slightly from his seat, palms joined, asking the sage for the specific deeds that avert preta-birth; the sage listens calmly.
FAQs
A sincere seeker should ask specifically for actionable dharma—conduct that safeguards one’s posthumous destiny.
No specific tirtha is named in this verse; it introduces the ethical-ritual response within a tirtha-glorifying section.
The verse requests guidance; the prescriptions follow in subsequent verses.