Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

तेऽपि प्रेता भवन्तीह मनुः स्वायंभुवोऽब्रवीत् । कदाचिच्चित्तचलनं शूराणामपि जायते

Transliteration

te'pi pretā bhavantīha manuḥ svāyaṃbhuvo'bravīt | kadāciccittacalanaṃ śūrāṇāmapi jāyate

Translation

彼らもまたここでプレータ（餓鬼）となる――スヴァーヤンブヴァ・マヌはかく宣言した。時に、勇者でさえ心が揺らぐことがある。

Word by Word

• te: they/those
• te: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• api: also/even
• api: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle)

• pretāḥ: departed spirits/pretas
• pretāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: preta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• bhavanti: they become
• bhavanti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• iha: here
• iha: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iha (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (adverb of place)

• manuḥ: Manu
• manuḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: manu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• svāyaṃbhuvaḥ: Svāyambhuva
• svāyaṃbhuvaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: svāyaṃbhuva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (epithet of Manu)

• abravīt: said/spoke
• abravīt: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: brū (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/Past), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• kadācit: sometimes
• kadācit: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kadācit (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (adverb of time)

• cittacalanam: wavering of the mind
• cittacalanam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: citta (प्रातिपदिक) + calana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (cittasya calanam)

• śūrāṇām: of heroes/brave men
• śūrāṇām: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śūra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• api: even
• api: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle)

• jāyate: arises/is born
• jāyate: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: jan (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator/Teacher (citing Svāyambhuva Manu)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A lawgiver-sage (Manu) is invoked as authority; the scene shifts from battlefield to teaching assembly, emphasizing that even the brave can experience mental wavering, necessitating compassionate ritual response.

Characters & Entities

• Svāyambhuva Manu
• Preta

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Human vulnerability is acknowledged; therefore dharmic rites compassionately address even those who falter under extreme conditions.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It supports the need for Śrāddha/appeasement rites by explaining that even brave warriors may fall into conditions leading to preta-status.