Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 11

Devanagari script

दृष्ट्वा पांसुमयीं वृष्टिं मुक्तां प्रेतैः समंततः । मातृवर्गेण तेनाथ प्रमुक्तः प्रचुरोऽनिलः

Transliteration

dṛṣṭvā pāṃsumayīṃ vṛṣṭiṃ muktāṃ pretaiḥ samaṃtataḥ | mātṛvargeṇa tenātha pramuktaḥ pracuro'nilaḥ

Translation

ଚାରିଦିଗରୁ ପ୍ରେତମାନେ ଛାଡ଼ିଥିବା ଧୂଳିବର୍ଷା ଦେଖି, ତେବେ ମାତୃଗଣ ଅତ୍ୟନ୍ତ ପ୍ରବଳ ପବନକୁ ମୁକ୍ତ କଲେ।

Word by Word

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Sambandha (पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय-भाव (Gerund/Absolutive); पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having seen)

• पांसुमयीम्: dusty; made of dust
• पांसुमयीम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पांसुमयी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying वृष्टिम्)

• वृष्टिम्: rain/shower
• वृष्टिम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृष्टि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• मुक्ताम्: released; let loose
• मुक्ताम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मुक्त (कृदन्त; धातु: मुच्)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (Past passive participle/क्त), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying वृष्टिम्)

• प्रेतैः: by the spirits/ghosts
• प्रेतैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रेत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन

• समन्ततः: on all sides
• समन्ततः: Sambandha (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: समन्ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (on all sides)

• मातृवर्गेण: by the group of Mothers (Mātṛs)
• मातृवर्गेण: Karana (Instrument/Agentive instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मातृ-वर्ग (प्रातिपदिक; components: मातृ + वर्ग)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तेन: by that/thereby
• तेन: Karana (Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• अथ: then
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुक्रम/आरम्भसूचक (then/now)

• प्रमुक्तः: was released/let loose
• प्रमुक्तः: Karta (Subject complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रमुक्त (कृदन्त; धातु: प्र+मुच्)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (Past passive participle/क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषण (predicate adjective)

• प्रचुरः: strong; abundant
• प्रचुरः: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रचुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying अनिलः)

• अनिलः: wind
• अनिलः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनिल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic voice within Tīrthamāhātmya; exact speaker not specified in snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A ring of pretas releases a choking dust-rain; then the Mātṛ-gaṇa appears—fierce mother-goddesses—summoning a roaring wind that scatters the dust and drives away the spirits.

Characters & Entities

• Pretas
• Mātṛgaṇa (Mothers)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine guardianship operates in subtle ways—sacred powers remove defilement and protect holy terrain from hostile forces.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A Nāgarakhaṇḍa tīrtha where a supernatural contest occurs involving pretas and the Mātṛs; the verse does not name the site.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual instruction appears; it describes a protective miracle (wind dispersing dust).