Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 21
केचिच्चतुर्थं कुर्वंति प्रेतं च स्वपितुस्ततः । पितुः पूर्वं भवेच्छ्राद्धं परं नैतन्मतं मम
keciccaturthaṃ kurvaṃti pretaṃ ca svapitustataḥ | pituḥ pūrvaṃ bhavecchrāddhaṃ paraṃ naitanmataṃ mama
Ada yang melakukan bahagian keempat lalu menganggap ayahnya sendiri sebagai preta (roh yang belum tenang). Menurut cara itu, śrāddha bagi ayah menjadi didahulukan; namun itu bukan pendapatku.
Skanda (deduced)
Type: kshetra
Listener: Pilgrim/householder audience (implied)
Scene: A śrāddha setting with a householder and officiating brāhmaṇa debating procedure; a symbolic ‘preta’ marker is rejected, emphasizing correct ancestral order.
FAQs
Not all popular ritual variations are endorsed; one should follow an authoritative, dharmic sequence rather than improvisation.
The tīrtha context is general; no particular sacred place is named in this verse.
It rejects the practice of adding a “fourth” share and thereby classifying one’s father as a preta in the ritual sequence.