Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 59

Devanagari script

विष्णुरुवाच । भयस्य कारणं देव कथ्यतां च महेश्वर । देवदानवयक्षाणां प्रेषयेयं यमालयम्

Transliteration

viṣṇuruvāca | bhayasya kāraṇaṃ deva kathyatāṃ ca maheśvara | devadānavayakṣāṇāṃ preṣayeyaṃ yamālayam

Translation

Vishnu sprach: „O Deva, o Maheshvara – nenne mir den Grund für diese Furcht. Ich werde die Devas, Danavas und Yakshas in Yamas Reich senden.“

Word by Word

• विष्णुः: Viṣṇu
• विष्णुः: Karta (Speaker/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriyā (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• भयस्य: of fear
• भयस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन

• कारणम्: cause
• कारणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कारण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति (Nom/Acc), एकवचन

• देव: O god
• देव: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• कथ्यताम्: let it be told
• कथ्यताम्: Kriyā (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथ् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), कर्मणि प्रयोग (Passive), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय

• महेश्वर: O Great Lord
• महेश्वर: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महā (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन; कर्मधारय (महान् ईश्वरः)

• देवदानवयक्षाणाम्: of gods, demons, and yakṣas
• देवदानवयक्षाणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक) + दानव (प्रातिपदिक) + यक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी विभक्ति (Genitive), बहुवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व (देवाः च दानवाः च यक्षाः च)

• प्रेषयेयम्: I would send
• प्रेषयेयम्: Kriyā (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-इष्/प्रेष् (धातु)
• Form: लिङ् (Optative/Potential), परस्मैपद, उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; उपसर्ग: प्र

• यमालयम्: to Yama's abode
• यमालयम्: Gati/Karma (Destination as object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यम (प्रातिपदिक) + आलय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (यमस्य आलयः)

Speaker

Viṣṇu

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Viṣṇu addresses Maheśvara with urgency and confidence, offering to dispatch threatening beings to Yama’s realm; Śiva listens as the calm axis of judgment.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Maheśvara (Śiva)
• Devas
• Dānavas
• Yakṣas
• Yama

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is preserved through inquiry, counsel, and decisive action against forces that disrupt cosmic balance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No explicit tīrtha appears; the emphasis is on divine governance and protection within the Revā Khaṇḍa setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a vow of protective action rather than a ritual instruction.