Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

विष्णुरुवाच । असंशयं सहस्राक्ष हता युद्धे पराङ्मुखाः । प्रेतत्वे यांति ते सर्वे देवा वा मानुषा यदि

Transliteration

viṣṇuruvāca | asaṃśayaṃ sahasrākṣa hatā yuddhe parāṅmukhāḥ | pretatve yāṃti te sarve devā vā mānuṣā yadi

Translation

พระวิษณุตรัสว่า: โอ้ผู้มีพันเนตร โดยไม่ต้องสงสัย ผู้ใดถูกสังหารในศึกขณะหันหลังหนี ย่อมไปสู่ภาวะเปรตทั้งสิ้น—ไม่ว่าเป็นเทพหรือมนุษย์

Word by Word

• विष्णुः: Vishnu
• विष्णुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• असंशयम्: without doubt; certainly
• असंशयम्: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: असंशय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाववत् क्रियाविशेषण-प्रयोगः; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-एकवचन रूपेण अव्ययार्थ (certainly/without doubt)

• सहस्राक्ष: O Sahasrākṣa (Indra)
• सहस्राक्ष: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहस्र + अक्ष (प्रातिपदिके; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः—सहस्रम् अक्षाणि यस्य (one who has a thousand eyes; Indra)

• हताः: slain
• हताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हत (कृदन्त; √हन् (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (slain)

• युद्धे: in battle
• युद्धे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• पराङ्मुखाः: turned away
• पराङ्मुखाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पराङ्मुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• प्रेतत्वे: into the state of being a preta
• प्रेतत्वे: Adhikarana (State/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रेतत्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• यान्ति: go; attain
• यान्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √या (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• देवाः: gods
• देवाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक अव्यय (or)

• मानुषाः: humans
• मानुषाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मानुष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• यदि: if
• यदि: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्तवाचक अव्यय (conditional conjunction: if)

Speaker

Viṣṇu

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dhārātīrtha (contextual)

Type: tirtha

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Indra (Sahasrākṣa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Vishnu delivers a definitive judgment to Indra (Sahasrākṣa): all who are slain while turned away in battle become pretas, whether devas or humans; the scene is judicial and final.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Indra (Sahasrākṣa)
• Deva
• Human

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is impartial: fleeing and being killed from behind leads to preta-gati regardless of status, emphasizing inner courage and right orientation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dhārātīrtha (as the Adhyāya’s tīrtha context), though this verse states a general dharmic rule.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a categorical teaching on gati.