Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

केचिच्चतुर्थं कुर्वंति प्रेतं च स्वपितुस्ततः । पितुः पूर्वं भवेच्छ्राद्धं परं नैतन्मतं मम

Transliteration

keciccaturthaṃ kurvaṃti pretaṃ ca svapitustataḥ | pituḥ pūrvaṃ bhavecchrāddhaṃ paraṃ naitanmataṃ mama

Translation

ある者は第四の分を設け、その後に自らの父をプレータ（彷徨う霊）として扱う。そうすれば父のためのシュラーダ（śrāddha）が先になるが、それは我が見解ではない。

Word by Word

• केचित्: some (people)
• केचित्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• चतुर्थम्: the fourth (rite)
• चतुर्थम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: caturtha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• कुर्वन्ति: do/perform
• कुर्वन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (Plural)

• प्रेतम्: the departed spirit
• प्रेतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: preta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चयार्थक (conjunction)

• स्वपितुः: of one’s own father
• स्वपितुः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sva + pitṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारयसमास (स्वः पिताऽस्य), पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन (Singular)

• ततः: then/thereafter
• ततः: Adhikarana (Adverbial/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, क्रमवाचक (thereafter)

• पितुः: of the father
• पितुः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pitṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन (Singular)

• पूर्वम्: before/first
• पूर्वम्: Adhikarana (Adverbial/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: pūrva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययप्रयोग (adverbial accusative)

• भवेत्: should be/should occur
• भवेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• श्राद्धम्: śrāddha rite
• श्राद्धम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śrāddha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• परम्: otherwise/further
• परम्: Adhikarana (Adverbial/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययप्रयोग (adverbial)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• मतम्: opinion/view
• मतम्: Pratijna/Predicate (Predicate nominal)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mata (प्रातिपदिक; from √man)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• मम: my
• मम: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrim/householder audience (implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A śrāddha setting with a householder and officiating brāhmaṇa debating procedure; a symbolic ‘preta’ marker is rejected, emphasizing correct ancestral order.

Characters & Entities

• preta
• pitṛ
• śrāddha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Not all popular ritual variations are endorsed; one should follow an authoritative, dharmic sequence rather than improvisation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The tīrtha context is general; no particular sacred place is named in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It rejects the practice of adding a “fourth” share and thereby classifying one’s father as a preta in the ritual sequence.