Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 57

Devanagari script

श्रुत्वेति स मुनेर्वाक्यं प्रेतः प्राह प्रणम्य तम् । प्रीतात्मा प्रीतमनसं प्रबद्धकरसंपुटः

Transliteration

śrutveti sa munervākyaṃ pretaḥ prāha praṇamya tam | prītātmā prītamanasaṃ prabaddhakarasaṃpuṭaḥ

Translation

ครั้นได้ฟังวาจาของมุนีแล้ว เปรตนั้นกราบนอบน้อมแล้วกล่าว—ดวงใจชื่นบาน จิตยินดี และประนมมือด้วยความเคารพภักดี

Word by Word

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √श्रु (धातु) + क्त्वा (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (absolutive/gerund) — having heard

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण-निपात (quotative particle)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — nominative singular

• मुनेः: of the sage
• मुनेः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Genitive singular (of the sage)

• वाक्यम्: speech/words
• वाक्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाक्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Accusative singular

• प्रेतः: the ghost
• प्रेतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रेत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Nominative singular

• प्राह: said
• प्राह: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद — he said

• प्रणम्य: having bowed
• प्रणम्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्र-√नम् (धातु) + ल्यप् (कृदन्त)
• Form: ल्यबन्त अव्यय (gerund) — having bowed

• तम्: to him
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Accusative singular

• प्रीतात्मा: with a pleased heart
• प्रीतात्मा: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रीत-आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Nominative singular; समास: प्रीतः आत्मा यस्य/प्रीत आत्मा (कर्मधारय)

• प्रीतमनसम्: (him) of pleased mind
• प्रीतमनसम्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रीत-मनस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Accusative singular; समास: प्रीतं मनः यस्य/प्रीत मनः (कर्मधारय)

• प्रबद्ध: joined/held together
• प्रबद्ध: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र-√बन्ध् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — ‘bound/joined’ (as qualifier in compound)

• कर: hands
• कर: Sambandha (Compound member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रातिपदिक (compound member) — ‘hand’

• संपुटः: with hands folded (añjali)
• संपुटः: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संपुट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Nominative singular; ‘folded hands’ sense

Speaker

Preta (restless spirit)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vimalodā-saras (contextual)

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The preta, hearing the sage, bows with folded hands, visibly relieved and joyful, ready to follow the instruction.

Characters & Entities

• Preta
• Muni (unnamed)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Respect for dharma-teachers and receptive listening are shown as the first steps toward purification and upliftment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The ongoing episode centers on Vimalodaka Saras in Kāśī, though this verse itself highlights the devotee’s inner response.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No new rite; it depicts praṇāma (bowing) and añjali (joined hands) as devotional conduct.