Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

ईश्वर उवाच । शृणु देवि प्रवक्ष्यामि प्रेततीर्थस्य कारणम् । यच्छ्रुत्वा मानवो भक्त्या मुक्तः स्यात्सर्वकिल्बिषैः

Transliteration

īśvara uvāca | śṛṇu devi pravakṣyāmi pretatīrthasya kāraṇam | yacchrutvā mānavo bhaktyā muktaḥ syātsarvakilbiṣaiḥ

Translation

อีศวรตรัสว่า: โอ้เทวี จงฟังเถิด เราจักกล่าวถึงเหตุแห่งเปรตตีรถะ เมื่อได้ฟังแล้ว มนุษย์ย่อมพ้นจากมลทินและบาปทั้งปวงด้วยภักติ

Word by Word

• ईश्वरः: Īśvara (Lord)
• ईश्वरः: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• शृणु: listen
• शृणु: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• देवि: O देवी
• देवि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• प्रवक्ष्यामि: I shall explain
• प्रवक्ष्यामि: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र- वच् (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• प्रेततीर्थस्य: of the Preta-tīrtha
• प्रेततीर्थस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रेत (प्रातिपदिक) + तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (प्रेतस्य तीर्थम्)

• कारणम्: cause; reason
• कारणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कारण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• यत्: which
• यत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; सम्बन्धवाचक-सर्वनाम (relative)

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: श्रु (धातु) → श्रुत्वा (क्त्वान्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund)

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

• भक्त्या: with devotion
• भक्त्या: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• मुक्तः: freed; released
• मुक्तः: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मुच् (धातु) → मुक्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्तृसमानााधिकरण (predicate adjective)

• स्यात्: would be; may become
• स्यात्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• सर्वकिल्बिषैः: from all sins
• सर्वकिल्बिषैः: Apadana (Separation/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + किल्बिष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; कर्मधारयः (सर्वाणि किल्बिषाणि)

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva) (explicit)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Preta-tīrtha

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva speaks to Pārvatī in a sacred grove near a ghāṭa labeled Preta-tīrtha; sages and pilgrims sit in attentive semicircle; the water glimmers; the atmosphere suggests a secret being revealed that frees listeners from sin.

Characters & Entities

• Īśvara (Śiva)
• Devī
• Preta-tīrtha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śravaṇa (devout listening) to tīrtha-māhātmya is itself a purifying practice that leads to freedom from spiritual impurities.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Preta-tīrtha within Prabhāsakṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Kathā-śravaṇa (hearing the sacred account) with bhakti is presented as a means of purification.