Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

भूतप्रेतपिशाचादिरक्षार्थं तत्र मानवः । यो जपेद्वामदेव्यं च स स्याद्धि निरुपद्रवः

Transliteration

bhūtapretapiśācādirakṣārthaṃ tatra mānavaḥ | yo japedvāmadevyaṃ ca sa syāddhi nirupadravaḥ

Translation

เพื่อคุ้มครองจากภูต เปรต ปิศาจ และสิ่งทำนองนั้น ผู้ใดสวดภาวนา “วามเทวะ” ณ ที่นั้น ผู้นั้นย่อมปราศจากอุปัทวะโดยแท้

Word by Word

• भूतप्रेतपिशाचादिरक्षार्थम्: for protection from spirits etc.
• भूतप्रेतपिशाचादिरक्षार्थम्: Sampradana (Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूत + प्रेत + पिशाच + आदि + रक्षा + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष-परम्परा (भूतप्रेतपिशाचादीनां रक्षा-अर्थः) — ‘for protection from bhūtas, pretas, piśācas, etc.’ (अर्थम् = प्रयोजनार्थे)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; स्थानवाचक क्रियाविशेषण

• मानवः: a man
• मानवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मानव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• जपेत्: should recite
• जपेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जप् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• वामदेव्यम्: the Vāmadevyam (hymn)
• वामदेव्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वामदेव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; मन्त्र/स्तोत्रनाम

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• स्यात्: would be
• स्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (emphatic particle)

• निरुपद्रवः: free from affliction
• निरुपद्रवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर् + उपद्रव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; नञ्/उपसर्गयुक्त-विशेषण — ‘free from trouble’

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: pitha

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Night-time shrine scene at a pīṭha; a devotee chants Vāmadeva; dark, ghostly forms at the periphery dissolve into mist; a protective circle of light surrounds the chanter; lamps and incense steady the atmosphere.

Characters & Entities

• Vāmadeva
• Japa
• Bhūta
• Preta
• Piśāca

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic dharma treats protection as a sacred act: mantra and tīrtha together remove upadrava (harm/obstacles).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The same pīṭha of Adhyāya 36, credited with strong protective power against unseen afflictions.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Japa of the Vāmadeva hymn/mantra for protective purposes.