Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 29

Devanagari script

राजोवाच । केन कर्मविपाकेन प्रेतत्वं जायते नृणाम् । एतन्मे सर्वमाचक्ष्व मांसाद मम पृच्छतः

Transliteration

rājovāca | kena karmavipākena pretatvaṃ jāyate nṛṇām | etanme sarvamācakṣva māṃsāda mama pṛcchataḥ

Translation

राजा म्हणाला—मनुष्यांना प्रेतत्व कोणत्या कर्मविपाकाने प्राप्त होते? हे मांसभक्षक, मी विचारतो आहे; सर्व मला सविस्तर सांग.

Word by Word

• राजा: the king
• राजा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Speech-act/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• केन: by what
• केन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया (3), एकवचन; interrogative: by what?

• कर्म: action, deed
• कर्म: Sambandha (Compound-member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासाङ्ग

• विपाकेन: by the result, ripening
• विपाकेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विपाक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन

• कर्मविपाकेन: by the fruition of karma
• कर्मविपाकेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन् + विपाक (प्रातिपदिक-समास)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (karmasya vipākaḥ), पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन

• प्रेतत्वम्: the state of being a preta (ghost)
• प्रेतत्वम्: Karta (Logical subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रेतत्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन

• जायते: is born, arises
• जायते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• नृणाम्: of men
• नृणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), बहुवचन

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• मे: to me
• मे: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम)
• Form: षष्ठी/चतुर्थी (6/4), एकवचन; enclitic: my/to me

• सर्वम्: all, entirely
• सर्वम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; qualifying एतत्

• आचक्ष्व: tell, explain
• आचक्ष्व: Kriya (Request/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + चक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• मांसाद: O Māṃsāda
• मांसाद: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मांसाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8), एकवचन; proper name/vocative

• मम: of me / my
• मम: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम)
• Form: षष्ठी (6), एकवचन

• पृच्छतः: of (me) asking
• पृच्छतः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्र + छद्/पृच्छ् (धातु) (वर्तमान-कृदन्त)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त (present participle), पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), एकवचन; ‘of me who am asking’

Speaker

Rājā (King)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Māṃsāda / flesh-eater (addressed)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The king formally questions the flesh-eater/preta about karmic ripening that produces pretatva; a didactic dialogue tableau with attentive posture and hand gestures.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It frames the teaching as karma-vipāka: afterlife states are consequences of one’s actions, inviting a dhārmic examination of conduct.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this interrogative verse; it introduces a doctrinal explanation within the Tīrthamāhātmya setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; it is a question that leads into rules of conduct and consequences.