Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 25

Devanagari script

इत्युच्चार्य द्विजस्याग्रे यमलोकं महाभयम् । असिपत्त्रवनं घोरं यमचुल्ली सुदारुणा

Transliteration

ityuccārya dvijasyāgre yamalokaṃ mahābhayam | asipattravanaṃ ghoraṃ yamacullī sudāruṇā

Translation

Nachdem er dies vor dem erhabenen Brāhmaṇa ausgesprochen hatte, (schilderte er) Yamas Reich, von äußerster Furchtbarkeit: den schrecklichen Wald der schwertgleichen Blätter (Asipattravana) und den überaus grausamen „Ofen Yamas“ (Yamacullī).

Word by Word

• iti: thus
• iti: Sambandha (Quotation marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; इति-प्रयोग (quotative)

• uccārya: having uttered
• uccārya: Kriya (Gerundial action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ud + car (धातु) + lyap (कृत्)
• Form: अव्ययभावे कृदन्त (ल्यप्/क्त्वा-प्रत्ययार्थ), ‘उच्चार्य’ = having uttered

• dvijasya: of the Brahmin
• dvijasya: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvija (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; genitive singular

• agre: in front (of)
• agre: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: agra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; locative singular (in front/presence)

• yama-lokam: Yama’s world
• yama-lokam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yama (प्रातिपदिक) + loka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (यमस्य लोकः)

• mahā-bhayam: greatly fearful/terrifying
• mahā-bhayam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + bhaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समास; adjective agreeing with yamalokam

• asi-pattra-vanam: the forest of sword-leaves (Asipattravana)
• asi-pattra-vanam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asi (प्रातिपदिक) + pattra (प्रातिपदिक) + vana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (असिपत्त्राणि यस्मिन् वनम्)

• ghoram: terrible
• ghoram: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ghora (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; adjective agreeing with asipattravanam

• yama-cullī: Yama’s stove/furnace (Yamacullī)
• yama-cullī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yama (प्रातिपदिक) + cullī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (यमस्य चुल्ली)

• su-dāruṇā: very dreadful
• su-dāruṇā: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: su (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + dāruṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय (सु + दारुणा), adjective agreeing with yamacullī

Speaker

Narrator within the Revā Khaṇḍa context (deductive attribution: Mārkaṇḍeya continuing the discourse to Yudhiṣṭhira)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A stark vision narrated before a seated brāhmaṇa: the dreadful Asipattravana—trees with sword-like leaves—looming over a path; nearby a blazing furnace labeled Yamacullī, with shadowy attendants of Yama.

Characters & Entities

• Yama
• Yamaloka
• Asipattravana
• Yamacullī
• Dvija (brāhmaṇa)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It warns of the fearful consequences of adharma by evoking Yama’s realm and its punishments, prompting a turn toward merit (puṇya) and righteous conduct.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is part of the Revā Khaṇḍa narrative framework; the specific tīrtha’s glory is emphasized in the surrounding passage as the means by which such fears are overcome.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual is stated in this verse; it functions as a doctrinal description supporting later prescriptions of dāna, snāna, and tīrtha-sevā.