Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 37

Devanagari script

तत्राहं नरके घोरे वर्षाणामयुतत्रयम् । रेतः पिबन्पीड्यमानो न्यवसं यमकिंकरैः

Transliteration

tatrāhaṃ narake ghore varṣāṇāmayutatrayam | retaḥ pibanpīḍyamāno nyavasaṃ yamakiṃkaraiḥ

Translation

সেই ভয়ংকর নরকে আমি ত্রিশ হাজার বছর ছিলাম—বীর্য পান করিয়ে ও নানা যন্ত্রণা দিয়ে, যমের কিঙ্করদের দ্বারা নিরন্তর পীড়িত হয়েছি।

Word by Word

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (देशवाचक) = indeclinable adverb (“there”)

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा, एकवचन = nominative singular (“I”)

• नरके: in hell
• नरके: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नरक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन = locative singular (“in hell”)

• घोरे: terrible
• घोरे: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: घोर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन = locative singular; विशेषण of नरके

• वर्षाणाम्: of years
• वर्षाणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन = genitive plural (“of years”)

• अयुतत्रयम्: three myriads (30,000)
• अयुतत्रयम्: Kaaladhikarana (Duration/काल-अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अयुत (प्रातिपदिक) + त्रय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन = accusative singular (measure); समासः: अयुत-त्रय (द्विगु, “three myriads” = 30,000)

• रेतः: semen
• रेतः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रेतस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन = accusative singular (“semen”)

• पिबन्: drinking
• पिबन्: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √पा (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त: शतृ (वर्तमानकृदन्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन = present active participle, nom sg (“drinking”)

• पीड्यमानः: being tormented
• पीड्यमानः: Kriya (Concurrent state/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √पीड् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त: शानच् (वर्तमानकृदन्त, कर्मणि), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन = present passive participle, nom sg (“being tormented”)

• न्यवसम्: I stayed
• न्यवसम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि- (उपसर्ग) + √वस् (धातु, “to dwell”)
• Form: लङ् (अनद्यतनभूत), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद = imperfect, 1st sg (“I dwelt/stayed”)

• यमकिंकरैः: by Yama’s attendants
• यमकिंकरैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यम (प्रातिपदिक) + किंकर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन = instrumental plural; समासः: यम-किंकर (तत्पुरुष, “servants of Yama”)

Speaker

Unknown (a male narrator recounting hell-torment; not identifiable from snippet alone)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Naraka-kunda (hell-pit)

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A fiery, smoke-filled hell-pit where the condemned is forced into degrading punishment while Yamadūtas strike and jeer; the sense is claustrophobic, dark, and infernal, with time suggested by repeating cycles (wheels/hourglasses).

Characters & Entities

• Yama
• Yamadūta

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Grave violations of dharma bear intense, long-lasting consequences; the Purāṇa uses stark imagery to warn and reform.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned; the setting is naraka under Yama’s administration.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse.