Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

तेन कर्मविपाकेन प्रेतयोनिं समाश्रितः । विदैवत इति ख्यातो द्वितीयोऽयं सुपापकृत्

Transliteration

tena karmavipākena pretayoniṃ samāśritaḥ | vidaivata iti khyāto dvitīyo'yaṃ supāpakṛt

Translation

ด้วยวิบากแห่งกรรมนั้น เขาได้เข้าสู่ภพกำเนิดเป็นเปรต; เพราะเหตุนั้นคนที่สองผู้ทำบาปหนักนี้จึงเป็นที่รู้จักว่า ‘วิทัยวตะ’

Word by Word

• तेन: by that, therefore
• तेन: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; एकवचनम्, तृतीया (instrumental singular)

• कर्मविपाकेन: by the fruition of karma
• कर्मविपाकेन: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + विपाक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समासः (कर्मणः विपाकः); पुंलिङ्ग; एकवचनम्, तृतीया (instrumental singular)

• प्रेतयोनिम्: the state/womb of a preta (ghost)
• प्रेतयोनिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रेत (प्रातिपदिक) + योनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समासः (प्रेतस्य योनि:); स्त्रीलिङ्ग; एकवचनम्, द्वितीया (accusative singular)

• समाश्रितः: having taken refuge in/entered
• समाश्रितः: Kriyā (Predicate complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + आ + श्रि (धातु) + आश्रित (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त); पुंलिङ्ग; एकवचनम्, प्रथमा; विधेय-विशेषणम् (having resorted to)

• विदैवत: Vidaivata (name)
• विदैवत: Karta (Subject complement)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विदैवत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; एकवचनम्, प्रथमा; नामरूपेण (proper name)

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

• ख्यातः: known/called
• ख्यातः: Kriyā (Predicate complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ख्या (धातु) + ख्यात (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त); पुंलिङ्ग; एकवचनम्, प्रथमा; विधेय-विशेषणम् (is known)

• द्वितीयः: second
• द्वितीयः: Karta (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वितीय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; एकवचनम्, प्रथमा; 'अयम्' इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• अयम्: this (one)
• अयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुंलिङ्ग; एकवचनम्, प्रथमा

• सुपापकृत्: a great sinner, doer of great sin
• सुपापकृत्: Karta (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सु (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + पाप (प्रातिपदिक) + कृत् (कृ-धातुजन्य)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समासः (सुपापं करोति इति); पुंलिङ्ग; एकवचनम्, प्रथमा; 'अयम्' इत्यस्य विशेषण/उपपद-समासान्त-प्रातिपदिक

Speaker

Māṃsāda (preta)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A subtle, non-horrific depiction of preta-yoni: the second figure shown with a faint, translucent form or shadow-double, while the confessor explains his name ‘Vidaivata’ and karmic ripening before the king.

Characters & Entities

• Vidaivata
• Preta-yoni

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Neglect of sacred duty ripens into painful states of existence; karma matures into fitting consequences.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is specified in this verse; it emphasizes karmic causality within the broader holy-place discourse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicitly reinforces devatā-arcana as a regular duty; the verse itself states consequence rather than procedure.