Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 116

Devanagari script

चन्द्रशर्मोवाच । हरिभक्तिविहीनानां द्वादशीव्रतवर्जिनाम् । नाशं न याति प्रेतत्वं पूजितैः शंकरादिभिः

Transliteration

candraśarmovāca | haribhaktivihīnānāṃ dvādaśīvratavarjinām | nāśaṃ na yāti pretatvaṃ pūjitaiḥ śaṃkarādibhiḥ

Translation

ചന്ദ്രശർമൻ പറഞ്ഞു—ഹരിഭക്തിയില്ലാത്തവരും ദ്വാദശീ വ്രതം ഉപേക്ഷിക്കുന്നവരും, ശങ്കരാദി ദേവന്മാരെ പൂജിച്ചാലും അവരുടെ പ്രേതത്വം നശിക്കുകയില്ല।

Word by Word

• चन्द्रशर्मा: Candraśarman
• चन्द्रशर्मा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चन्द्रशर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• हरिभक्तिविहीनानाम्: of those devoid of devotion to Hari
• हरिभक्तिविहीनानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हरिभक्ति + विहीन (प्रातिपदिक); components: हरि-भक्ति (devotion to Hari) + विहीन (devoid)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), बहुवचन; (qualifies द्वादशीव्रतवर्जिनाम् / implied persons)

• द्वादशीव्रतवर्जिनाम्: of those who neglect the Dvādaśī vow
• द्वादशीव्रतवर्जिनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वादशी-व्रत + वर्जिन् (प्रातिपदिक); components: द्वादशीव्रत (Dvādaśī vow) + वर्जिन् (one who avoids)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; (genitive plural: 'of those who avoid...')

• नाशम्: destruction; end
• नाशम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Nishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय

• याति: goes; attains
• याति: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• प्रेतत्वम्: ghosthood
• प्रेतत्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रेतत्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• पूजितैः: by (those) worshipped
• पूजितैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूज् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (Past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), बहुवचन

• शंकरादिभिः: by Śaṅkara and others
• शंकरादिभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शंकर + आदि (प्रातिपदिक); components: शंकर (Śaṅkara) + आदि (and others)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

Speaker

Candraśarman

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: (Contextual) interlocutors in the Dvārakā-māhātmya narrative; immediately contrasted with pretas in following verses

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Candraśarman instructs with gravity: devotees and non-devotees contrasted; shadowy pretas linger at the edge, while a radiant Keśava icon stands central, with Śaṅkara’s liṅga to the side—signaling hierarchy of worship and the consequence of neglecting Dvādaśī.

Characters & Entities

• Hari
• Dvādaśī-vrata
• Śaṅkara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

In this context, Hari-bhakti and Dvādaśī-vrata are presented as decisive for release from preta-hood, beyond merely performing other forms of worship.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā is implied as the Vaiṣṇava center where Dvādaśī discipline and devotion to Hari are particularly emphasized.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Observance of the Dvādaśī-vrata (the twelfth lunar day vow) grounded in devotion to Hari.