Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 29

Devanagari script

प्रेताः पिशाचा रक्षांसि वृथालापरतं नरम् । आविशंति तदाविष्टो वक्ताबद्धं पुनः पुनः

Transliteration

pretāḥ piśācā rakṣāṃsi vṛthālāparataṃ naram | āviśaṃti tadāviṣṭo vaktābaddhaṃ punaḥ punaḥ

Translation

ପ୍ରେତ, ପିଶାଚ ଓ ରାକ୍ଷସମାନେ ବୃଥା ଓ ଅସଂୟତ କଥାରେ ଆସକ୍ତ ନରକୁ ଆବିଷ୍ଟ କରନ୍ତି; ସେମାନଙ୍କ ଆବେଶରେ ସେ ପୁନଃପୁନଃ ଅସମ୍ବଦ୍ଧ ଓ ନିୟନ୍ତ୍ରଣହୀନ ଭାବେ କହେ।

Word by Word

• प्रेताः: ghosts
• प्रेताः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रेत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन

• पिशाचाः: piśācas (goblins)
• पिशाचाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिशाच (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन

• रक्षांसि: rākṣasas/demons
• रक्षांसि: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रक्षस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन

• वृथा: vainly
• वृथा: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वृथा (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: in vain)

• आलाप: talk/speech
• आलाप: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आलाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; समासपूर्वपद (in compound)

• रतम्: engaged in/addicted to
• रतम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying नरम्)

• नरम्: man
• नरम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन

• आविशन्ति: they enter/possess
• आविशन्ति: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + विश् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (then)

• आविष्टः: possessed/entered
• आविष्टः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ + विश् (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; विशेषण (of implied he)

• वाक्: speech
• वाक्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाच् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; समासपूर्वपद (in compound)

• आबद्धम्: bound/obstructed
• आबद्धम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ + बन्ध् (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; विशेषण (of implied speech/utterance)

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: पुनरुक्त्यर्थक अव्यय (again)

• पुनः: again and again
• पुनः: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: पुनरुक्त्यर्थक अव्यय (again; repetition)

Speaker

Narrative context (Maheshvara Khanda tradition: Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa relating a dialogue)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Bhārata (addressed figure)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A man compulsively talking, eyes unfocused; shadowy pretas/piśācas/rākṣasas enter as smoky forms around his head and mouth; the teacher-guardian points sternly, indicating the cause and consequence—speech without restraint leading to possession-like incoherence.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Guarding one’s speech is dharma; addiction to futile talk is portrayed as spiritually dangerous and destabilizing.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; the focus is ethical discipline (speech-restraint) within the Purāṇic teaching.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is prescribed here; the implied discipline is vāg-niyama—restraint and purity of speech.