Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 40

Devanagari script

एतत्ते सर्वमाख्यातं मया पार्थिवसत्तम । येन कर्मविपाकेन प्रेतः संजायते नरः

Transliteration

etatte sarvamākhyātaṃ mayā pārthivasattama | yena karmavipākena pretaḥ saṃjāyate naraḥ

Translation

اے بہترین بادشاہ! میں نے تمہیں پوری طرح بتا دیا کہ اعمال کے پکنے (کرم وِپاک) سے انسان کیسے پریت کے طور پر جنم لیتا ہے۔

Word by Word

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विषय-निर्देश (this)

• ते: to you
• ते: Sampradāna (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बोधनार्थ-सम्बन्ध (to you/your)

• सर्वम्: all; entirely
• सर्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; एतत्-विशेषणम्

• आख्यातम्: has been told/explained
• आख्यातम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + ख्या (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोगे विधेय

• मया: by me
• मया: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण/कर्तृ), एकवचन; कर्तृवाचक (by me)

• पार्थिवसत्तम: O best of kings
• पार्थिवसत्तम: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्थिव + सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-प्रथमा, एकवचन; सम्बोधन (vocative)

• येन: by which
• येन: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; साधन/हेतु-निर्देश (by which)

• कर्मविपाकेन: by the fruition/result of karma
• कर्मविपाकेन: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्म + विपाक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; करण/हेतु (instrument/cause)

• प्रेतः: a preta
• प्रेतः: Kartṛ-samānādhikaraṇa (Predicate/समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रेत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विधेय

• संजायते: is born/comes into being
• संजायते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + जन् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्ता

Speaker

Māṃsāda

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pārthiva-sattama (the King)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sage-like figure (Māṃsāda) addressing a seated king, concluding a discourse; palm-leaf manuscript or rosary in hand, indicating ‘complete exposition’.

Characters & Entities

• Māṃsāda
• Rāja (king)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The after-death condition is portrayed as a consequence of karma’s ripening; understanding causality prepares one to choose dharmic conduct.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse functions as doctrinal setup within the Tīrthamāhātmya context; no single tirtha is named in this line.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; it introduces the karmic rationale that will frame later prescriptions.