Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 34

Devanagari script

पुनर्निरयसंवासंनानानरकयातनाः । कर्मदोषसमुद्भूता नृणांगतिरनेकधा

Transliteration

punarnirayasaṃvāsaṃnānānarakayātanāḥ | karmadoṣasamudbhūtā nṛṇāṃgatiranekadhā

Translation

Und wiederum gibt es das Verweilen in der Hölle und die vielen Qualen der verschiedenen Narakas, hervorgegangen aus den Fehlern der eigenen Taten, aus dem Makel des Karma; der Menschen Geschicke sind mannigfaltig.

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.