Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 41

Devanagari script

राजोवाच । कृतेन कर्मणा येन न प्रेतो जायते नरः । तन्मे कीर्तय मांसाद विस्तरेण विशेषतः

Transliteration

rājovāca | kṛtena karmaṇā yena na preto jāyate naraḥ | tanme kīrtaya māṃsāda vistareṇa viśeṣataḥ

Translation

രാജാവ് പറഞ്ഞു: ‘ഏത് കർമ്മം ചെയ്താൽ മനുഷ്യൻ പ്രേതനായി ജനിക്കുകയില്ല? ഹേ മാംസാദാ! അത് എനിക്ക് പ്രത്യേകമായി, വിശദമായി, വ്യക്തമായി പറയുക.’

Word by Word

• राजा: the king
• राजा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; वक्ता

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• कृतेन: by done/performed
• कृतेन: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृत (प्रातिपदिक; कृ-धातोः क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मणा-विशेषणम् (done/performed)

• कर्मणा: by an act; by a deed
• कर्मणा: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; करण/हेतु

• येन: by which
• येन: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; साधन-निर्देश (by which)

• न: not
• न: Pratiṣedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात (negation particle)

• प्रेतः: a preta
• प्रेतः: Kartṛ-samānādhikaraṇa (Predicate/समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रेत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विधेय

• जायते: is born/becomes
• जायते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्ता

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्म (that)

• मे: to me
• मे: Sampradāna (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी/चतुर्थी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अत्र चतुर्थ्यर्थे (to me)

• कीर्तय: tell; proclaim
• कीर्तय: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कीर्तय् (धातु; नामधातु from कीर्ति)
• Form: लोट् (imperative), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन

• मांसाद: O Māṃsāda
• मांसाद: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मांसाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-प्रथमा, एकवचन; सम्बोधन (vocative)

• विस्तरेण: in detail
• विस्तरेण: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Manner/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विस्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; प्रकारे (in detail)

• विशेषतः: especially; particularly
• विशेषतः: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Manner/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विशेषतः (अव्यय; विशेष + तस्)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारार्थक-क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of manner/emphasis)

Speaker

Rāja (King)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Māṃsāda

Visual Art Cues

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.

Characters & Entities

• Rāja (king)
• Māṃsāda

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

A sincere seeker should ask specifically for actionable dharma—conduct that safeguards one’s posthumous destiny.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tirtha is named in this verse; it introduces the ethical-ritual response within a tirtha-glorifying section.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse requests guidance; the prescriptions follow in subsequent verses.