Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 86

Devanagari script

मानुषेण दिनेनैव प्रेतलोके दिनं स्मृतम् । तस्माद्दिनेदिने देयं प्रेतायान्नं च वत्सरम्

Transliteration

mānuṣeṇa dinenaiva pretaloke dinaṃ smṛtam | tasmāddinedine deyaṃ pretāyānnaṃ ca vatsaram

Translation

انسانوں کا ایک دن ہی پریت لوک میں ایک دن سمجھا جاتا ہے؛ اس لیے دن بہ دن پورے ایک سال تک پریت کے لیے اَنّ (غذا) کا دان دینا چاہیے۔

Word by Word

• मानुषेण: by a human (measure)
• मानुषेण: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मानुष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण/Instrumental), एकवचन — Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• दिनेन: by a day
• दिनेन: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण/Instrumental), एकवचन — Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• एव: indeed/only
• एव: Sambandha/Emphasis (सम्बन्ध/निपातार्थ)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle) — Indeclinable particle

• प्रेतलोके: in the world of the departed (preta-world)
• प्रेतलोके: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रेत-लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (प्रेतस्य लोकः); पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (अधिकरण/Locative), एकवचन — Masculine, Locative, Singular

• दिनम्: a day
• दिनम्: Karma/Pratipādya (Object/Predicate complement)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• स्मृतम्: is said/remembered (as)
• स्मृतम्: Kriyā (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृ (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्तः—क्त (भूतकर्मणि/Passive past participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — PPP in -ta, Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• तस्मात्: therefore/from that
• तस्मात्: Hetu/Apādāna (Cause/Source)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तस्मात् इति अव्ययीभूत-प्रयोगः (ablatival adverb) — Indeclinable ‘therefore/from that’

• दिने: on a day
• दिने: Adhikaraṇa (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (अधिकरण/Locative), एकवचन — Neuter, Locative, Singular

• दिने: day by day (lit. on day on day)
• दिने: Adhikaraṇa (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (अधिकरण/Locative), एकवचन — Neuter, Locative, Singular

• देयम्: should be given
• देयम्: Vidhi (Obligation/विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्तः—यत्/तव्यत्-भाव (gerundive/obligatory); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Gerundive ‘to be given’, Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• प्रेताय: to the departed spirit
• प्रेताय: Sampradāna (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रेत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (सम्प्रदान/Dative), एकवचन — Masculine, Dative, Singular

• अन्नम्: food
• अन्नम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction) — ‘and’

• वत्सरम्: for a year
• वत्सरम्: Kāla-adhikaraṇa/Avadhi (Duration/कालावधि)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वत्सर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म/Accusative), एकवचन — Masculine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

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

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A householder offers cooked rice and water daily with kuśa grass and a lamp, while a subtle preta-form receives relief as the sun marks the passing of days.

Characters & Entities

• Preta-loka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Consistent daily care through offerings is urged, recognizing the departed’s lived experience in the preta-state.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is named; it provides a dharma-rule about time and offerings for the preta.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Give food to the preta daily for one year.