Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 77

Devanagari script

यमं हैमं प्रकुर्वीत लोहदण्डसमन्वितम् । इक्षुदण्डमयं बद्ध्वा ह्युडुपं पट्टबन्धनैः

Transliteration

yamaṃ haimaṃ prakurvīta lohadaṇḍasamanvitam | ikṣudaṇḍamayaṃ baddhvā hyuḍupaṃ paṭṭabandhanaiḥ

Translation

Man soll ein goldenes Bildnis Yamas anfertigen, versehen mit einem eisernen Stab; und aus Zuckerrohrstängeln ein kleines Boot (Floß) mit Stoffriemen zusammenbinden.

Word by Word

• यमम्: Yama (image/figure of Yama)
• यमम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• हैमम्: golden
• हैमम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हैम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (golden)

• प्रकुर्वीत: should fashion/make
• प्रकुर्वीत: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र- कृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्, आत्मनेपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन (3rd sg. opt.)

• लोहदण्डसमन्वितम्: provided with an iron staff
• लोहदण्डसमन्वितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लोह-दण्ड-समन्वित (प्रातिपदिक; लोह + दण्ड + समन्वित)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण; समासः ‘endowed with an iron staff’

• इक्षुदण्डमयम्: made of sugarcane stalk
• इक्षुदण्डमयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इक्षु-दण्ड-मय (प्रातिपदिक; इक्षु + दण्ड + मय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण; समासः ‘made of sugarcane-stalk’

• बद्ध्वा: having tied
• बद्ध्वा: Kriya (Action/क्रिया-पूर्व)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: बन्ध् (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having tied)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic/indeed)

• उडुपम्: boat/raft
• उडुपम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उडुप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• पट्टबन्धनैः: with cloth straps/bindings
• पट्टबन्धनैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पट्ट-बन्धन (प्रातिपदिक; पट्ट + बन्धन)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), बहुवचन; समासः ‘cloth/strap bindings’

Speaker

Unspecified (Revākhaṇḍa dialogue context; a Purāṇic narrator instructing a king)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā tīrtha (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A golden Yama image stands with an iron staff; beside it, artisans bind a small raft from sugarcane stalks using cloth straps—ritual objects prepared near a riverbank altar.

Characters & Entities

• Yama
• uḍupa (boat/raft)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The rite externalizes inner preparation: acknowledging Yama (moral law) while arranging supports for the soul’s passage.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The teaching is embedded in Revākhaṇḍa’s Revā-centered sacred setting, though this verse focuses on ritual implements.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Making a golden Yama with an iron staff and constructing a sugarcane-stalk raft bound with cloth straps.