Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 25

Devanagari script

यदि प्रेतत्वमापन्नः कदाचित्स्वपिता भवेत् । तृप्त्यर्थं तस्य कर्तव्यं श्राद्धं तत्र दिने नृप

Transliteration

yadi pretatvamāpannaḥ kadācitsvapitā bhavet | tṛptyarthaṃ tasya kartavyaṃ śrāddhaṃ tatra dine nṛpa

Translation

Jika pada bila-bila masa ayah sendiri telah memasuki keadaan preta, maka—wahai raja—pada hari itu hendaklah dilakukan śrāddha untuknya, demi kepuasan dan ketenteramannya.

Word by Word

• यदि: if
• यदि: Sambandha (Condition/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; शर्तार्थक-समुच्चय/निबन्धन (conditional particle)

• प्रेतत्वम्: the state of being a preta (departed spirit)
• प्रेतत्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रेतत्व (प्रातिपदिक; प्रेत + त्व)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन (Nom./Acc. sg.)

• आपन्नः: having attained, fallen into
• आपन्नः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आपद् (धातु) → आपन्न (कृदन्त; क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृदन्त (past participle)

• कदाचित्: at some time, ever
• कदाचित्: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कदाचित् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (adverb of time)

• स्वपिता: one's own father
• स्वपिता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व + पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन (Nom. sg.); कर्मधारयः (स्वः पिता)

• भवेत्: should be, might become
• भवेत्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative); प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• तृप्त्यर्थम्: for (his) satisfaction
• तृप्त्यर्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तृप्ति + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचन (Acc. sg.); चतुर्थी-तत्पुरुषः (तृप्त्यै अर्थः)

• तस्य: of him, his
• तस्य: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक; षष्ठी एकवचन (Gen. sg.)

• कर्तव्यम्: to be done, should be performed
• कर्तव्यम्: Kriya (Obligation/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु) → कर्तव्य (कृदन्त; तव्यत्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचन; तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त विधेय (gerundive/obligatory)

• श्राद्धम्: śrāddha rite
• श्राद्धम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन (Nom./Acc. sg.)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (locative adverb)

• दिने: on the day
• दिने: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी एकवचन (Loc. sg.)

• नृप: O king
• नृप: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन एकवचन (Voc. sg.)

Speaker

Unspecified (contextual narrator/teacher addressing a king)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (nṛpa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A son offers śrāddha with intense focus, visualizing his father in preta-form receiving relief; the kingly addressee is implied by a royal listener nearby, underscoring the universality of duty across classes.

Characters & Entities

• father (pitā)
• preta
• śrāddha
• nṛpa (king)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śrāddha is an act of filial dharma: it is performed to bring tṛpti (contentment) and support to the departed, especially during the preta-stage.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is specified in this verse; the emphasis is on the rite and its proper occasion within the māhātmya context.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It instructs that śrāddha should be performed for one’s father on the relevant day if he is in the preta condition.