Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 88

Devanagari script

यथेह बन्धने कश्चिद्रक्ष्यते विषमैर्नरैः । प्रेतपिंडा न दीयंते षोडशश्राद्धपूर्वकाः

Transliteration

yatheha bandhane kaścidrakṣyate viṣamairnaraiḥ | pretapiṃḍā na dīyaṃte ṣoḍaśaśrāddhapūrvakāḥ

Translation

ดังที่ในโลกนี้ ผู้ถูกจองจำย่อมถูกคนโหดคุมเฝ้าไว้ ฉันใด ก็ฉันนั้น มิได้ถวายปิณฑะสำหรับเปรต อันควรเริ่มด้วยศราทธะสิบหกประการ

Word by Word

• यथा: just as
• यथा: Upamāna (Comparison marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमान/यथार्थक-अव्यय (comparative particle)

• इह: here
• इह: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb)

• बन्धने: in bondage/imprisonment
• बन्धने: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बन्धन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (अधिकरण/Locative), एकवचन — Neuter, Locative, Singular

• कश्चित्: someone
• कश्चित्: Kartā (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (कर्ता/Nominative), एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Singular; अनिश्चितार्थ (indefinite)

• रक्ष्यते: is guarded/kept
• रक्ष्यते: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: रक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive sense) — Present, 3rd singular, passive ‘is guarded’

• विषमैः: by harsh/uneven (cruel)
• विषमैः: Karaṇa (Agent-instrument in passive/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विषम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण/Instrumental), बहुवचन — Masculine, Instrumental, Plural; विशेषणम् (नरैः)

• नरैः: by men
• नरैः: Karaṇa (Agent in passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण/Instrumental), बहुवचन — Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• प्रेतपिण्डाः: rice-balls for the departed (preta-offerings)
• प्रेतपिण्डाः: Kartā (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रेत-पिण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (प्रेतस्य पिण्डाः); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (कर्ता/Nominative), बहुवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• न: not
• न: Nishedha (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negation particle)

• दीयन्ते: are given
• दीयन्ते: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive) — Present, 3rd plural, passive ‘are given’

• षोडशश्राद्धपूर्वकाः: preceded by the sixteen śrāddhas
• षोडशश्राद्धपूर्वकाः: Kartā (Subject-qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: षोडश-श्राद्ध-पूर्वक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः (षोडशश्राद्ध)-तत्पुरुष + पूर्वक ‘preceded by’; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Plural; विशेषणम् (प्रेतपिण्डाः)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narrative frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Two parallel scenes: a prisoner guarded by stern men; beside it, a preta guarded in the otherworld, while a family neglects to offer piṇḍas—highlighting the cause of continued bondage.

Characters & Entities

• Ṣoḍaśa-śrāddha
• Piṇḍa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Neglect of piṇḍa and śrāddha is likened to leaving someone imprisoned—ritual duty is framed as liberation and care.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No sacred site is specified; the verse is primarily about the necessity of śrāddha and piṇḍa for the departed.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Offer pretapiṇḍas in the proper sequence, beginning with the ṣoḍaśa-śrāddhas.