Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 128

Devanagari script

कुर्वते यदि मोहाद्वा प्रेतत्वं शाश्वतं ततः । नापयाति कृतैः पुण्यैर्बहुशस्तीर्थसेवनैः

Transliteration

kurvate yadi mohādvā pretatvaṃ śāśvataṃ tataḥ | nāpayāti kṛtaiḥ puṇyairbahuśastīrthasevanaiḥ

Translation

ଯଦି କେହି ମୋହବଶତଃ ତାହାକୁ (ବିଧିବିରୋଧରେ) କରେ, ତେବେ ତାହାରୁ ଶାଶ୍ୱତ ପ୍ରେତତ୍ୱ ଉତ୍ପନ୍ନ ହୁଏ। ବହୁ ପୁଣ୍ୟକର୍ମ ଓ ଅନେକଥର ତୀର୍ଥସେବା କଲେ ମଧ୍ୟ ତାହା ସହଜରେ ନ ହଟେ।

Word by Word

• कुर्वते: they do/perform
• कुर्वते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• यदि: if
• यदि: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्त-अव्यय (conditional particle)

• मोहात्: from delusion
• मोहात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मोह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्प-अव्यय (disjunctive particle)

• प्रेतत्वम्: state of being a preta (ghosthood)
• प्रेतत्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रेतत्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• शाश्वतम्: eternal, lasting
• शाश्वतम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शाश्वत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; प्रेतत्वम्-विशेषण

• ततः: thereafter; then
• ततः: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb: 'thereupon/thereafter/from that')

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय

• अपयाति: goes away; is removed
• अपयाति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अप + या (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• कृतैः: by (things) done; by performed
• कृतैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन, नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग; 'by done/performed'

• पुण्यैः: by merits, pious acts
• पुण्यैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• बहुशः: many times; repeatedly
• बहुशः: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: बहुशः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb: frequency)

• तीर्थसेवनैः: by acts of visiting/serving sacred places
• तीर्थसेवनैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ-सेवन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः—तीर्थस्य सेवनम् = तीर्थसेवनम्

Speaker

Sūta (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee, having performed a rite wrongly, is shown in a liminal preta-like state near a desolate shore; in contrast, a correctly guided ritual scene appears as a luminous counterpoint, emphasizing the need for right knowledge.

Characters & Entities

• Tīrtha
• Preta

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Deliberate or careless ritual error is treated as grave; spiritual consequences may persist beyond ordinary acts of merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Tīrtha-sevā is mentioned generally; the surrounding narrative belongs to Dvārakā Māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

An implicit prohibition: do not perform the rite in the wrong tithi/condition, thinking it will be ‘fixed’ later by pilgrimages.