Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

तथा पूयवहः पापो वह्निज्वालोऽप्यधःशिराः । संदंशः कृष्णसूत्रश्च तमश्चावीचिरेवच

Transliteration

tathā pūyavahaḥ pāpo vahnijvālo'pyadhaḥśirāḥ | saṃdaṃśaḥ kṛṣṇasūtraśca tamaścāvīcirevaca

Translation

Ebenso gibt es die Höllen namens Pūyavaha, Pāpa, Vahnijvāla und Adhaḥśiras; ferner Saṃdaṃśa, Kṛṣṇasūtra, Tamaḥ und Avīci.

Word by Word

• तथा: also
• तथा: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/प्रकार-अव्यय (also)

• पूयवहः: Pūyavaha (hell)
• पूयवहः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूय (प्रातिपदिक) + वह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (carrier/stream of pus) नरक-नाम

• पापः: Pāpa (hell)
• पापः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; नरक-नाम

• वह्निज्वालः: Vahnijvāla (hell)
• वह्निज्वालः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वह्नि (प्रातिपदिक) + ज्वाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (flame of fire) नरक-नाम

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपि-कार-अव्यय (also/even)

• अधःशिराः: Adhaḥśiras (head-down hell)
• अधःशिराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अधः (अव्यय) + शिरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (नामरूपेण); अव्ययीभाव (head-down) नरक-नाम

• संदंशः: Saṃdaṃśa (hell)
• संदंशः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संदंश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; नरक-नाम

• कृष्णसूत्रः: Kṛṣṇasūtra (hell)
• कृष्णसूत्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्ण (प्रातिपदिक) + सूत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारय (black-thread) नरक-नाम

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

• तमः: Tamas (darkness hell)
• तमः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; नरक-नाम

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

• अवीचिः: Avīci (hell)
• अवीचिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अवीचि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; नरक-नाम

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्यय (indeed/just)

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

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) (deduced from Māheśvara-khaṇḍa narrative convention)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: interlocutor (mahāmati)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A descent through symbolic hells: a river of pus (Pūyavaha), blazing flame corridors (Vahnijvāla), souls hanging upside down (Adhaḥśiras), iron pincers (Saṃdaṃśa), black binding cords (Kṛṣṇasūtra), suffocating darkness (Tamaḥ), and the endless plunge (Avīci).

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Actions (karma) have precise consequences; the Purāṇa warns that adharma leads to specific forms of suffering.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single tīrtha is praised in this verse; it functions as a dharma-warning within the Kaumārikā-khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None is stated here; the verse lists narakas rather than prescribing vrata, dāna, or tīrtha-yātrā.