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
人间一日，被视为饿鬼界（preta-loka）之一日；因此，应当日复一日供施食物给饿鬼，持续满一年。
Word by Word
मानुषेणby a human (measure)
मानुषेण:
Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
TypeAdjective
Rootमानुष (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण/Instrumental), एकवचन — Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Singular
दिनेनby a day
दिनेन:
Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
TypeNoun
Rootदिन (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण/Instrumental), एकवचन — Neuter, Instrumental, Singular
एवindeed/only
एव:
Sambandha/Emphasis (सम्बन्ध/निपातार्थ)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootएव (अव्यय)
Formनिपात (emphatic particle) — Indeclinable particle
प्रेतलोकेin the world of the departed (preta-world)
प्रेतलोके:
Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootप्रेत-लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
Formसमासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (प्रेतस्य लोकः); पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (अधिकरण/Locative), एकवचन — Masculine, Locative, Singular
दिनम्a day
दिनम्:
Karma/Pratipādya (Object/Predicate complement)
TypeNoun
Rootदिन (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular
स्मृतम्is said/remembered (as)
स्मृतम्:
Kriyā (Predicate/विधेय)
TypeVerb
Rootस्मृ (धातु)
Formकृदन्तः—क्त (भूतकर्मणि/Passive past participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — PPP in -ta, Neuter, Nominative, Singular
तस्मात्therefore/from that
तस्मात्:
Hetu/Apādāna (Cause/Source)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formतस्मात् इति अव्ययीभूत-प्रयोगः (ablatival adverb) — Indeclinable ‘therefore/from that’
दिनेon a day
दिने:
Adhikaraṇa (Time/अधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootदिन (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (अधिकरण/Locative), एकवचन — Neuter, Locative, Singular
दिनेday by day (lit. on day on day)
दिने:
Adhikaraṇa (Time/अधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootदिन (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (अधिकरण/Locative), एकवचन — Neuter, Locative, Singular
देयम्should be given
देयम्:
Vidhi (Obligation/विधेय)
TypeVerb
Rootदा (धातु)
Formकृदन्तः—यत्/तव्यत्-भाव (gerundive/obligatory); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — Gerundive ‘to be given’, Neuter, Nominative, Singular
प्रेतायto the departed spirit
प्रेताय:
Sampradāna (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
TypeNoun
Rootप्रेत (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (सम्प्रदान/Dative), एकवचन — Masculine, Dative, Singular
अन्नम्food
अन्नम्:
Karma (Object/कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootअन्न (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular
चand
च:
Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootच (अव्यय)
Formसमुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction) — ‘and’
वत्सरम्for a year
वत्सरम्:
Kāla-adhikaraṇa/Avadhi (Duration/कालावधि)
TypeNoun
Rootवत्सर (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, 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
P
Preta-lokaFAQs
Consistent daily care through offerings is urged, recognizing the departed’s lived experience in the preta-state.
No tīrtha is named; it provides a dharma-rule about time and offerings for the preta.
Give food to the preta daily for one year.