Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

यदुच्छिष्टं क्षितौ याति पात्रप्रक्षालनोद्भवम् । तेन तृप्तिं परां यांति ये प्रेतत्वमुपागताः

Transliteration

yaducchiṣṭaṃ kṣitau yāti pātraprakṣālanodbhavam | tena tṛptiṃ parāṃ yāṃti ye pretatvamupāgatāḥ

Translation

凡由洗涤器皿而生的残余落于地上者，凭此，那些已成饿鬼（preta）者亦得无上满足。

Word by Word

• yat: that which
• yat: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• ucchiṣṭam: leftover (food/remains)
• ucchiṣṭam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ucchiṣṭa (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त-विशेषण)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (PPP) ‘उच्छिष्ट’

• kṣitau: on the ground
• kṣitau: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṣiti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; अधिकरण

• yāti: goes/falls
• yāti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: yā (धाातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• pātra-prakṣālana-udbhavam: arising from washing the vessels
• pātra-prakṣālana-udbhavam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pātra (प्रातिपदिक) + prakṣālana (प्रातिपदिक) + udbhava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (पात्रस्य प्रक्षालनात् उद्भवम्)

• tena: by that/thereby
• tena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन; करण

• tṛptim: satisfaction
• tṛptim: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tṛpti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; कर्म

• parām: supreme/great
• parām: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; विशेषण (तृप्तिम्)

• yānti: attain/go
• yānti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: yā (धाातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• ye: those who
• ye: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक सर्वनाम

• pretatvam: the state of being a preta (departed spirit)
• pretatvam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: preta (प्रातिपदिक) + -tva (तद्धित-प्रत्यय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; भाववाचक तद्धितान्त

• upāgatāḥ: having reached/attained
• upāgatāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: upa-√gam (गम् धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (PPP) ‘उपागत’; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; कर्तृवाच्य-विशेषण (ये)

Speaker

Unspecified (Tīrthamāhātmya dialogue voice)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee washes ritual vessels; the wash-water flows onto the earth and transforms into a subtle offering-stream. Shadowy pretas at the edge of the scene become soothed, their forms brightening as they receive satisfaction.

Characters & Entities

• Preta

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even what seems insignificant—like water and remnants from washing ritual vessels—can become a channel of merit that relieves pretas.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The line continues a general tīrtha-māhātmya discussion on śrāddha; the verse itself does not specify a location.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It references pātra-prakṣālana (washing of vessels) and teaches that remnants reaching the earth are efficacious for preta-satisfaction.