Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 30

Devanagari script

न तेषां यमलोकस्य भयं मार्गे प्रजायते । कुंकुमैश्चंदनैश्चैव सुलिप्तं यश्च कारयेत

Transliteration

na teṣāṃ yamalokasya bhayaṃ mārge prajāyate | kuṃkumaiścaṃdanaiścaiva suliptaṃ yaśca kārayeta

Translation

Für sie entsteht auf dem Weg ins Jenseits keine Furcht vor Yamas Reich. Und wer veranlasst, dass (der heilige Baum) wohl mit Kuṅkuma und Sandelholzpaste gesalbt werde—

Word by Word

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात (negation)

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध/Possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (सामान्यतः), षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन

• यमलोकस्य: of Yama’s world
• यमलोकस्य: Shashthi-sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यम + लोक (प्रातिपदिक); components: यम(यम) + लोक(लोक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (यमस्य लोकः)

• भयम्: fear
• भयम्: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• मार्गे: on the path
• मार्गे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मार्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• प्रजायते: arises/is produced
• प्रजायते: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + जन् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद

• कुङ्कुमैः: with saffron
• कुङ्कुमैः: Karana (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुङ्कुम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-बोधक निपात (conjunction)

• चन्दनैः: with sandalwood (paste)
• चन्दनैः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चन्दन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-बोधक निपात (conjunction)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphasis)

• सुलिप्तम्: well-smeared/anointed
• सुलिप्तम्: Karma (कर्म/Object implied with कारयेत)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सु + लिप् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (Past passive participle/क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; उपसर्ग ‘सु’ (well)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सम्बन्धक सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अन्वय निपात (connective)

• कारयेत्: should cause to be done / should have (it) done
• कारयेत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) णिजन्त (कारय-)
• Form: विधिलिङ्-लकार (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद; णिजन्त (causative)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; not explicit in snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Aśvattha/Pippala-sevā (tree-tīrtha)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim reverently anoints a venerable Aśvattha (pippala) trunk with red kuṅkuma and pale sandalpaste; lamps and flowers at the root; a subtle, protective aura suggesting freedom from Yama’s fear.

Characters & Entities

• Yamaloka
• Yama
• Kuṅkuma
• Candana
• Aśvattha (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dhārmic devotion grants fearlessness in the face of death and the post-mortem journey, reframing worship as spiritual protection.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The sacred Aśvattha context continues; the ‘tīrtha’ emphasis is on the sanctified tree as a locus of merit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Anointing/smearing the sacred object (here, contextually the Aśvattha) with kuṅkuma and sandalpaste.