Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 83

Devanagari script

न तेषां वंशजः कश्चित्प्रेतत्वं च गमिष्यति । प्राहुः सप्तपदीं मैत्रीं पंडिताः स्थिरबुद्धयः

Transliteration

na teṣāṃ vaṃśajaḥ kaścitpretatvaṃ ca gamiṣyati | prāhuḥ saptapadīṃ maitrīṃ paṃḍitāḥ sthirabuddhayaḥ

Translation

അവരുടെ വംശജരിൽ ആരും പ്രേതത്വത്തിലേക്ക് പോകുകയില്ല. സ്ഥിരബുദ്ധിയുള്ള പണ്ഡിതർ ‘സപ്തപദി’യാൽ മൈത്രി ദൃഢമായി സ്ഥാപിതമാകുന്നു എന്നു പറയുന്നു।

Word by Word

• na: not
• na: Pratiṣedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (निषेध-निपात)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय (negation)

• teṣām: of them
• teṣām: Sambandha (Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक; षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• vaṃśajaḥ: descendant
• vaṃśajaḥ: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vaṃśaja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• kaścit: anyone
• kaścit: Karta (Qualifier of subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अनिश्चितवाचक (indefinite)

• preta-tvam: preta-hood (ghost-state)
• preta-tvam: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: preta (प्रातिपदिक) + -tva (तद्धित)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; भाववाचक तद्धितान्त

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (निपात)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक अव्यय

• gamiṣyati: will go to / attain
• gamiṣyati: Kriyā (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: gam (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• prāhuḥ: have declared
• prāhuḥ: Kriyā (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ah (धातु) + pra- (उपसर्ग)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• sapta-padīm: seven-stepped (i.e., firm/complete)
• sapta-padīm: Viśeṣaṇa
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sapta (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + padī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्विगु-समास: "सप्त पदानि यस्याः सा"; स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (of maitrīm)

• maitrīm: friendship
• maitrīm: Karma (Object of prāhuḥ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: maitrī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• paṇḍitāḥ: learned men
• paṇḍitāḥ: Karta (Subject of prāhuḥ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: paṇḍita (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• sthira-buddhayaḥ: steady-minded
• sthira-buddhayaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sthira (प्रातिपदिक) + buddhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहि: "स्थिरा बुद्धिर्येषां ते"; पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण (of paṇḍitāḥ)

Speaker

Paryuṣita

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (protective tīrtha context)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrimage-inquirer (contextual)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sage-like scholar gestures while explaining: the lineage is protected from preta-bhāva; beside him, two friends take seven steps together, symbolizing unbreakable bond.

Characters & Entities

• Paryuṣita
• Preta(s)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma performed at a powerful tīrtha safeguards not only ancestors but also descendants, and sacred bonds (like friendship) carry enduring moral force.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Prabhāsa-kṣetra locality associated with Pretatīrtha and the removal of preta-affliction.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicitly, continuing śrāddha and dhārmic observances at the site; additionally, the verse cites the dhārmic maxim of saptapadī establishing firm friendship.