Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 56

Devanagari script

तमालोक्य यमोऽश्रांतं श्रांतंस्तांश्च हतान्स्वकान् । आजगाम समुद्यम्य दंडं महिषवाहनः

Transliteration

tamālokya yamo'śrāṃtaṃ śrāṃtaṃstāṃśca hatānsvakān | ājagāma samudyamya daṃḍaṃ mahiṣavāhanaḥ

Translation

Als Yama ihn unermüdet sah und seine eigenen Diener erschöpft und erschlagen, trat er, auf einem Büffel reitend, vor und hob seinen Strafstab empor.

Word by Word

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• आलोक्य: having seen
• आलोक्य: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-लोक् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive/Gerund) — ‘having seen’

• यमः: Yama
• यमः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• अश्रान्तम्: unwearied
• अश्रान्तम्: Karma (Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ-श्रान्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying ‘तम्’)

• श्रान्तान्: wearied
• श्रान्तान्: Karma (Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रान्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifying ‘तान्/स्वकान्’)

• तान्: those
• तान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• हतान्: slain
• हतान्: Karma (Object qualifier)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्यय (Past passive participle), पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifying ‘स्वकान्’)

• स्वकान्: his own (men)
• स्वकान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• आजगाम: came
• आजगाम: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-गम् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• समुद्यम्य: having lifted
• समुद्यम्य: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-उद्-यम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive/Gerund) — ‘having raised/brandished’

• दण्डम्: staff, rod
• दण्डम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• महिष-वाहनः: the one whose mount is a buffalo
• महिष-वाहनः: Karta (Apposition/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महिष (प्रातिपदिक) + वाहन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी: ‘महिषस्य वाहनम्’), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; यमस्य विशेषण-नाम

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) (deduced: Māheśvara-khaṇḍa narration to sages)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Yama, stern and unwearied in authority, rides a dark buffalo into the fray, lifting his staff as his slain attendants lie scattered; the air thickens with dread and law-like inevitability.

Characters & Entities

• Yama
• Kiṅkaras

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Yama symbolizes impartial dharma; when disorder escalates, the cosmic enforcer himself intervenes.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No holy site is mentioned.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.