Shloka 24 - Adhyaya 204 - Tirtha Mahatmya - Nagara Khanda | Malayalam | Vedapath

Vyasa

Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

विषादग्नेः कुलघ्नानां तया चैवात्मघातिनाम् । दंष्ट्रिभिर्हतदेहानां शृंगिभिश्च सुरेश्वर । प्रेतत्वं जायते नूनं सत्यमेतदसंशयम्

Transliteration

viṣādagneḥ kulaghnānāṃ tayā caivātmaghātinām | daṃṣṭribhirhatadehānāṃ śṛṃgibhiśca sureśvara | pretatvaṃ jāyate nūnaṃ satyametadasaṃśayam

Translation

വിഷാദാഗ്നിയിൽ ദഗ്ധരായവർ, കുലഘാതകരും ആത്മഘാതകരും; കൂടാതെ ദംഷ്ട്രധാരികളും ശൃംഗധാരികളും ആയ ജീവികൾകൊണ്ട് ദേഹം ഹതമായവർ—ഹേ സുരേശ്വരാ, അവർക്കു നിശ്ചയമായും പ്രേതത്വം ജനിക്കുന്നു. ഇത് സത്യം; സംശയമില്ല.

Word by Word

विषादग्नेःof the fire of grief (despair)

कुलघ्नानाम्of family-slayers

तयाby that (fire)

चand

एवindeed

आत्मघातिनाम्of self-killers

दंष्ट्रिभिःby tusked (beasts)

हतदेहानाम्of those whose bodies are slain

शृंगिभिःby horned (beasts)

चand

सुरेश्वरO lord of the gods

प्रेतत्वम्ghosthood; state of being a preta

जायतेarises; is born

नूनम्certainly

सत्यम्true

एतत्this

असंशयम्without doubt

Speaker

Viṣṇu

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Audience of the māhātmya; immediate speakers are within a deva-dialogue

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A liminal cremation-ground vision: afflicted pretas hovering near a śmaśāna, with Indra and the Lord (Madhusūdana) in dialogue, emphasizing compassion and the gravity of viṣāda and transgressive deaths.

Characters & Entities

Viṣṇu

Indra (Sureśvara)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Despair, self-harm, and grievous social sin (kulaghna) are portrayed as producing preta-bhāva; Purāṇic dharma urges steadiness, restraint, and protection of life and lineage.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Adhyāya’s underlying tīrtha frame is Dhārātīrtha, though this verse broadens into general causes of preta-hood.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; it is an ethical-doctrinal enumeration of conditions leading to preta-gati.