Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 2

Devanagari script

युध्यमानास्तवाग्रे च गयाश्राद्धेन तर्पय । तान्सर्वान्प्रेतभावाच्च येन मुक्तिं भजंति ते

Transliteration

yudhyamānāstavāgre ca gayāśrāddhena tarpaya | tānsarvānpretabhāvācca yena muktiṃ bhajaṃti te

Translation

ನಿನ್ನ ಮುಂದೆ ಯುದ್ಧಮಾಡುತ್ತ ಬಿದ್ದ ಎಲ್ಲರನ್ನೂ ಗಯಾ-ಶ್ರಾದ್ಧದಿಂದ ತರ್ಪಿಸು; ಅದರಿಂದ ಅವರು ಪ್ರೇತಭಾವದಿಂದ ಮುಕ್ತರಾಗಿ ಮೋಕ್ಷವನ್ನು ಪಡೆಯುತ್ತಾರೆ.

Word by Word

• युध्यमानाः: fighting
• युध्यमानाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: युध् (धातु) + शानच् (प्रत्यय)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले शानच्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (present active participle, Ātmanepada-form); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• तव: your
• तव: Sambandha (Possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन

• अग्रे: in front; before
• अग्रे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक (conjunction)

• गयाश्राद्धेन: by the Gayā śrāddha
• गयाश्राद्धेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गया + श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (Gayā-śrāddha); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन

• तर्पय: satisfy; offer libations to
• तर्पय: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तृप् (धातु) + णिच् (causative)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद; णिजन्त (causative)

• तान्: those (them)
• तान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन

• सर्वान्: all
• सर्वान्: Karma (Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifier of तान्)

• प्रेतभावात्: from the state of being a preta (departed spirit)
• प्रेतभावात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रेत + भाव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास; पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक (conjunction)

• येन: by which
• येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative)

• मुक्तिम्: liberation
• मुक्तिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• भजन्ति: attain; partake of
• भजन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भज् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन, परस्मैपद

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

Speaker

Viṣṇu

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Gayā

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Indra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A ritual tableau: offerings of water and piṇḍa are made with solemn devotion, while subtle, translucent pitṛ-forms are shown being lifted from a shadowy preta-state into light.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Indra
• Gayā
• Śrāddha
• Preta
• Mukti

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tīrtha-linked śrāddha (especially at Gayā) is portrayed as exceptionally potent, lifting the departed from preta-state toward liberation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Gayā is explicitly praised through the mention of “Gayā-śrāddha.”

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform Gayā-śrāddha and offer tarpaṇa for those who died fighting, to remove preta-bhāva and grant spiritual uplift.