Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

अहं मांसादकोनाम द्वितीयोऽयं विदैवतः । कृतघ्नश्च तृतीयस्तु त्रयाणामेष पापकृत्

Transliteration

ahaṃ māṃsādakonāma dvitīyo'yaṃ vidaivataḥ | kṛtaghnaśca tṛtīyastu trayāṇāmeṣa pāpakṛt

Translation

నేను ‘మాంసాద’ అనే పేరుతో ప్రసిద్ధుడను. ఈ రెండవవాడు ‘విదైవత’ అని పిలువబడును. మూడవవాడు ‘కృతఘ్న’; ఇలా మేము ముగ్గురమూ పాపకర్తలము.

Word by Word

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, एकवचन, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative singular)

• मांसादकः: meat-eater
• मांसादकः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मांस + आदक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, एकवचन, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Masculine, nominative singular)

• नाम: by name
• नाम: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/नामनिर्देश)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात/अव्यय (particle meaning ‘by name/indeed’)

• द्वितीयः: the second
• द्वितीयः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वितीय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, एकवचन, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Masculine, nominative singular)

• अयम्: this (one)
• अयम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग, एकवचन, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Masculine, nominative singular)

• विदैवतः: one opposed to the gods/impious (vidaivata)
• विदैवतः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वि + दैवत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, एकवचन, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Masculine, nominative singular)

• कृतघ्नः: ingrate (one who kills/denies a benefit)
• कृतघ्नः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृत + घ्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, एकवचन, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Masculine, nominative singular)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• तृतीयः: the third
• तृतीयः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तृतीय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, एकवचन, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Masculine, nominative singular)

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/अन्वय-अव्यय (particle: ‘but/indeed’)

• त्रयाणाम्: of the three
• त्रयाणाम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रि (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, बहुवचन, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Masculine, genitive plural)

• एषः: this (one)
• एषः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग, एकवचन, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Masculine, nominative singular)

• पापकृत्: evil-doer/sinner
• पापकृत्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप + कृत् (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √कृ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, एकवचन, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Masculine, nominative singular); कृत्-प्रत्ययान्त (agent noun)

Speaker

Māṃsāda (a preta, speaking to the king)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: The king

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Three pretas introduce themselves with stark, emblematic names—Māṃsāda, Vidaivata, Kṛtaghna—each visually hinted by symbolic attributes (meat/blood stain, broken offering, severed bond of gratitude).

Characters & Entities

• Māṃsāda
• Vidaivata
• Kṛtaghna

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

One’s identity in the afterlife can mirror one’s dominant actions; sinful habits become defining marks through karmic consequence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse sits within a Tīrthamāhātmya narrative framework, but this particular shloka focuses on karmic identity rather than naming a specific tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it introduces the three pretas by their karmic names.