Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 34

Devanagari script

पुनर्निरयसंवासंनानानरकयातनाः । कर्मदोषसमुद्भूता नृणांगतिरनेकधा

Transliteration

punarnirayasaṃvāsaṃnānānarakayātanāḥ | karmadoṣasamudbhūtā nṛṇāṃgatiranekadhā

Translation

আবার নরকে বাস এবং নানা নরকের বিচিত্র যন্ত্রণা—যা কর্মদোষ থেকে জন্মে; মানুষের গতি বহু প্রকার।

Word by Word

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• निरयसंवासम्: residence in hell
• निरयसंवासम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निरय-संवास (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine Accusative Singular; 'dwelling in hell'

• नानानरकयातनाः: various torments of hells
• नानानरकयातनाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाना-नरक-यातना (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Feminine Nominative Plural; 'various hell-torments'

• कर्मदोषसमुद्भूताः: arisen from karmic दोष (faults)
• कर्मदोषसमुद्भूताः: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कर्म-दोष-समुद्भूत (कृदन्त; √भू "to arise" + सम्+उद्; क्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण (यातनाः इति) — Feminine Nom Plural; 'arisen from faults of karma'

• नृणाम्: of men
• नृणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Masculine Genitive Plural

• गतिः: course/destiny
• गतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन — Feminine Nominative Singular

• अनेकधा: in many ways
• अनेकधा: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अनेकधा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक अव्यय (adverb of manner)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A didactic vision: shadowy naraka landscapes with varied punishments arising from karmic faults; above, a luminous path leading to Kāśī’s Śiva shrine, indicating escape through dharma and refuge.

Characters & Entities

• Naraka
• Karma

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Karmic faults lead to painful consequences; recognizing this motivates dharmic correction and liberation-seeking.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse sits within Kāśī-khaṇḍa’s glorification of Kāśī as a liberating field, contrasted with hellish outcomes of adharma.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific ritual is named; the emphasis is on avoiding karma-doṣa through dharma and spiritual striving.