Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

प्रकर्षेण व्रजेद्यस्मात्तस्मात्प्रेतः प्रकीर्तितः । पुत्रेण भ्रात्रा पत्न्या वा तस्य कार्या सपिंडता

Transliteration

prakarṣeṇa vrajedyasmāttasmātpretaḥ prakīrtitaḥ | putreṇa bhrātrā patnyā vā tasya kāryā sapiṃḍatā

Translation

เพราะเขา “ก้าวไปข้างหน้า” อย่างเด็ดเดี่ยว จึงเรียกว่า เปรตะ (preta) คือวิญญาณผู้ล่วงลับ สำหรับเขานั้น พิธีทำให้เป็นสปิณฑะ (sapinda) พึงกระทำโดยบุตร หรือโดยพี่น้องชาย หรือโดยภรรยา

Word by Word

• प्रकर्षेण: with intensity; strongly
• प्रकर्षेण: Karaṇa (Instrument/means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रकर्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचनम्; क्रियाविशेषणत्वेन (adverbial use)

• व्रजेत्: would go; should go
• व्रजेत्: Kriyā (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: व्रज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd person), एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• यस्मात्: from which; because of which
• यस्मात्: Apādāna (Source/ablative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, पञ्चमी-विभक्तिः (Ablative/5th), एकवचनम्

• तस्मात्: therefore; from that (reason)
• तस्मात्: Apādāna (Source/ablative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, पञ्चमी-विभक्तिः (Ablative/5th), एकवचनम्

• प्रेतः: a departed spirit; preta
• प्रेतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रेत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative/1st), एकवचनम्

• प्रकीर्तितः: is declared/called
• प्रकीर्तितः: Kriyā (Predicate/nominal predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + कीर्त् (धातु) → प्रकीर्तित (कृदन्त, क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्तः (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; कर्मणि-प्रयोगे विधेय-विशेषणम्

• पुत्रेण: by a son
• पुत्रेण: Karaṇa (Agent/means in passive sense)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचनम्

• भ्रात्रा: by a brother
• भ्रात्रा: Karaṇa (Agent/means in passive sense)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भ्रातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचनम्

• पत्न्या: by a wife
• पत्न्या: Karaṇa (Agent/means in passive sense)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पत्नी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचनम्

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-निपातः (disjunctive particle)

• तस्य: of him/that (preta)
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः (Genitive/6th), एकवचनम्

• कार्या: should be performed
• कार्या: Kriyā (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु) → कार्य (कृदन्त, यत्-प्रत्यय; विधेय-विशेषण)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative/1st), एकवचनम्; विधेय-विशेषणम् (to be done)

• सपिण्डता: the sapinda-relationship/rite of sapinda-connection
• सपिण्डता: Karta (Subject/thing to be done)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सपिण्डता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative/1st), एकवचनम्

Speaker

Bhartṛyajña

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ānarta

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A ritual scene at a ghat: piṇḍas on darbha, water offerings, and the family—son/brother/wife—performing sapiṇḍīkaraṇa for the departed; a subtle, ethereal preta figure suggested as being guided onward.

Characters & Entities

• preta
• sapiṇḍatā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual responsibility for the departed is not limited to a son; dharma provides compassionate alternatives within the family to ensure the preta is properly transitioned.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse is primarily ritual-instructional and does not name a specific tīrtha, though it occurs within a tīrtha-māhātmya setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Sapiṇḍatā/sapiṇḍīkaraṇa should be performed for the departed, and eligible performers include son, brother, or wife.