Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 81

Devanagari script

प्रेतलोके स वसति ततः संवत्सरं नरः । वत्सरेण च तेनास्य शरीरमभिजायते

Transliteration

pretaloke sa vasati tataḥ saṃvatsaraṃ naraḥ | vatsareṇa ca tenāsya śarīramabhijāyate

Translation

Doon ang tao ay naninirahan sa daigdig ng mga preta sa loob ng isang taon; at sa pagtatapos ng taong iyon, isang katawan ang nabubuo para sa kanya.

Word by Word

• प्रेतलोके: in the world of the departed (preta-world)
• प्रेतलोके: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रेतलोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; समासः—प्रेतस्य लोकः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

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

• वसति: dwells
• वसति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• ततः: thereafter; from there
• ततः: Apadana/Temporal (Source/Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अव्यय-प्रकारः—अव्यय-सम्बन्ध/अपादानार्थक (from there/thereafter)

• संवत्सरम्: for a year
• संवत्सरम्: Kala-adhikarana (Time extent/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संवत्सर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; काल-परिमाण (duration)

• नरः: the man
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• वत्सरेण: by (the passage of) a year
• वत्सरेण: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वत्सर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; करण/हेतु-भाव (by/within a year)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय-बोधक (conjunction)

• तेन: by that
• तेन: Karana/Hetu (Means/Cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• अस्य: of him
• अस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• शरीरम्: a body
• शरीरम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शरीर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• अभिजायते: is born/comes into being
• अभिजायते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि√जन् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narrative frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A lone preta in a dim liminal realm, counting the passage of a year; a faint, forming body (liṅga-śarīra) suggested as a subtle silhouette, with distant ritual smoke from the human world.

Characters & Entities

• Preta-loka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The departed undergoes an intermediate preta-state; time and rites are understood to aid the soul’s transition.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is named; the verse focuses on the preta-state timeline and embodiment process.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Indirectly supports the importance of year-long post-death observances, later specified as offerings and śrāddha.