Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 55
एतद्गुणत्रयं प्रोक्तं प्रेतयोनौ नृपोत्तम । दोषानपि च ते वच्मि ताञ्च्छृणुष्व समाहितः
etadguṇatrayaṃ proktaṃ pretayonau nṛpottama | doṣānapi ca te vacmi tāñcchṛṇuṣva samāhitaḥ
ഹേ നൃപോത്തമാ! പ്രേതയോനിയെക്കുറിച്ച് ഈ മൂന്ന് ഗുണങ്ങൾ പ്രസ്താവിച്ചിരിക്കുന്നു. ഇനി അതിന്റെ ദോഷങ്ങളും ഞാൻ പറയും—സമാഹിതചിത്തത്തോടെ കേൾക്കുക.
Māṃsāda
Listener: nṛpa (king)
Scene: A sage addressing a king in a forest-edge setting, beginning a grave exposition on the preta-condition; the atmosphere is didactic and somber, with subtle hints of unseen beings listening.
FAQs
True understanding weighs both merits and defects; spiritual discernment requires steady attention (samādhāna/samāhita-citta).
Not specified in this verse; it is part of a tīrtha-themed chapter but functions as doctrinal transition.
No ritual is prescribed; the instruction is to listen attentively to dharmic teaching.