Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 95

Devanagari script

यैरिष्टं च त्रिभिर्मेधैरर्चितं वा सुरत्रयम् । प्रेतलोकं न ते यांति तथा ये समरे हताः

Transliteration

yairiṣṭaṃ ca tribhirmedhairarcitaṃ vā suratrayam | pretalokaṃ na te yāṃti tathā ye samare hatāḥ

Translation

മൂന്നു യജ്ഞങ്ങൾ നടത്തിയവരോ ദേവത്രയത്തെ ആരാധിച്ചവരോ പ്രേതലോകത്തിലേക്ക് പോകുകയില്ല; യുദ്ധത്തിൽ ഹതരായവരും അതുപോലെ പോകുകയില്ല.

Word by Word

• यैः: by whom
• यैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; 'by whom'

• इष्टम्: (has been) worshipped/sacrificed
• इष्टम्: Kriya (Predicative/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: yaj (धाातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त — 'sacrificed/worshipped'

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय — 'and'

• त्रिभिः: by three
• त्रिभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tri (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; संख्यावाचक विशेषण (by three)

• मेधैः: by sacrifices (medhas)
• मेधैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: medha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन; 'मेध' = यज्ञविशेष/सacrifice (e.g., aśvamedha etc.)

• अर्चितम्: worshipped
• अर्चितम्: Kriya (Predicative/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: arc (धाातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त — 'worshipped/honoured'

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय — 'or'

• सुर-त्रयम्: the triad of gods
• सुर-त्रयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sura + traya (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; 'सुराणां त्रयम्' (the triad of gods)

• प्रेत-लोकम्: the world of pretas
• प्रेत-लोकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: preta + loka (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; 'प्रेतानां लोकः'

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निषेध) — 'not'

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; 'they'

• यान्ति: go
• यान्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: yā (धाातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (उपमान/प्रकारवाचक) — 'thus/likewise'

• ये: those who
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक — 'those who'

• समरे: in battle
• समरे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: samara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• हताः: slain
• हताः: Kriya (Predicative/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: han (धाातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त — 'killed/slain'

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) (deduced: Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narrative style)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Three scenes in one: (1) a yajamāna completing three great sacrifices; (2) devotees worshipping a triad of gods; (3) a warrior fallen on the battlefield, escorted upward by divine attendants, bypassing a shadowy preta gate.

Characters & Entities

• Sura-traya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Great merit from sacrifice, devotion, and heroic death is said to protect one from the preta condition.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No pilgrimage site is named; the verse focuses on qualifications affecting the afterlife.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Performance of three medha-sacrifices and worship of the sura-traya are cited as merit-bearing acts.