Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 21
ये पुनः पृष्ठदेशे तु हन्यते भयविक्लवाः । भुज्यमानाः परैस्ते च प्रेताः स्युस्त्रिदशाधिप
ye punaḥ pṛṣṭhadeśe tu hanyate bhayaviklavāḥ | bhujyamānāḥ paraiste ca pretāḥ syustridaśādhipa
എന്നാൽ ഭയത്തിൽ വിറച്ച് പിന്നിൽ നിന്ന് കൊല്ലപ്പെടുകയും മറ്റുള്ളവർ കീഴടക്കുകയും ചെയ്യുന്നവർ—അവർ പ്രേതരാകും, ഹേ ത്രിദശാധിപാ.
Viṣṇu
Tirtha: Dhārātīrtha (contextual)
Type: tirtha
Listener: Indra (tridaśādhipa)
Scene: A stark contrast is drawn: those struck from behind while fleeing in fear become pretas; imagery focuses on the moment of panic, the blow from behind, and the ensuing restless spirit-state.
FAQs
Cowardice and panic at death are portrayed as spiritually destabilizing, yielding preta-bhāva rather than auspicious gati—even within a tīrtha narrative.
Dhārātīrtha remains the Adhyāya’s setting, though this verse focuses on the negative outcome for the fearful and fleeing.
None; it is a doctrinal statement about preta-gati.