Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 29

Devanagari script

पिशाचत्वमनुप्राप्ताः कृमिकीटत्वमेव ये । अथ कालान्प्रवक्ष्यामि कथ्यमा नान्निबोध मे

Transliteration

piśācatvamanuprāptāḥ kṛmikīṭatvameva ye | atha kālānpravakṣyāmi kathyamā nānnibodha me

Translation

പിശാചത്വം പ്രാപിച്ചവരും കൃമി‑കീടയോണിയിൽപ്പെട്ടവരും ആയാലും—ഇപ്പോൾ ഞാൻ (ശ്രാദ്ധാദി) കർമ്മങ്ങൾക്ക് യുക്തമായ കാലങ്ങൾ പ്രസ്താവിക്കുന്നു; പറയുന്നതു ശ്രദ്ധിച്ച് ഗ്രഹിക്കൂ.

Word by Word

• पिशाचत्वम्: state of being a piśāca (ghoulhood)
• पिशाचत्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिशाचत्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• अनुप्राप्ताः: having attained
• अनुप्राप्ताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनु + प्र + आप् (धातु) → अनुप्राप्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त/PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषण

• कृमिकीटत्वम्: state of being worms and insects
• कृमिकीटत्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृमि (प्रातिपदिक) + कीट (प्रातिपदिक) + त्व (तद्धित)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; द्वन्द्व-समास (कृमि+कीट) + तद्धित ‘त्व’ (state)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (particle: indeed/only)

• ये: who (those who)
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक-सर्वनाम

• अथ: then/now
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अनन्तर/प्रस्तावार्थक-अव्यय (then/now)

• कालान्: times (occasions)
• कालान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• प्रवक्ष्यामि: I shall declare
• प्रवक्ष्यामि: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + वच् (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), उत्तमपुरुष (1st), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• कथ्यमानान्: being stated (as I state them)
• कथ्यमानान्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कथ् (धातु) → कथ्यमान (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: वर्तमानकर्मणि कृदन्त (शानच्/मान), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; ‘being told’—कालान् इति विशेषण

• अनुबोध: understand / heed
• अनुबोध: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अनु + बुध् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• मे: me / my
• मे: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी/चतुर्थी (Genitive/Dative), एकवचन; ‘my/to me’

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Prabhāsa-khaṇḍa māhātmya narration style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A solemn teacher-narrator in Prabhāsa addresses a listener near the sea-side tīrtha, evoking compassion for beings fallen into piśāca and insect births, then raising a hand to announce the sacred calendar of rites.

Characters & Entities

• Piśāca
• Kṛmi
• Kīṭa
• Śrāddha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual compassion extends to all post-death conditions; correct timing and performance of rites can aid even the most afflicted states.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, in whose māhātmya the timings for ancestral rites are being taught.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A transition into listing prescribed kālas—authorized occasions for Śrāddha and related offerings.