Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 82

Devanagari script

पेषणं नरकं यान्ति शोषणं जीवबन्धनात् । तत्रत्यां यातनां घोरां सहित्वा शास्त्रचोदिताम्

Transliteration

peṣaṇaṃ narakaṃ yānti śoṣaṇaṃ jīvabandhanāt | tatratyāṃ yātanāṃ ghorāṃ sahitvā śāstracoditām

Translation

They go to the hell called Peṣaṇa, and to Śoṣaṇa, for binding living beings. There, having endured the dreadful torment ordained according to the śāstras, (they proceed further in accord with karma).

Word by Word

• peṣaṇam: crushing (punishment)
• peṣaṇam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: peṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिक; √piṣ/पिष् ‘to grind’ इत्यस्मात् भाव/कर्मणि-नाम)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; ‘grinding/crushing (punishment)’

• narakam: to hell
• narakam: Gati/Karma (Destination as object/गत्यर्थक-कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: naraka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• yānti: go
• yānti: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √yā (धाातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• śoṣaṇam: drying/withering (punishment)
• śoṣaṇam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śoṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिक; √śuṣ/शुष् ‘to dry’ इत्यस्मात् भाव/कर्मणि-नाम)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; ‘drying/withering (punishment)’

• jīvabandhanāt: from the binding of living beings
• jīvabandhanāt: Apadana (Source/Cause/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jīva + bandhana (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘jīvasya bandhanam’); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5), एकवचन; अपादानार्थे

• tatratyām: there (belonging to that place)
• tatratyām: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tatratya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; ‘there (in that place)’ इति विशेषणम् (यातनां विशेषयति)

• yātanām: torment
• yātanām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yātanā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• ghorām: terrible
• ghorām: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ghora (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; ‘terrible’ इति विशेषणम्

• sahitvā: having endured
• sahitvā: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √sah (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund); ‘having endured’

• śāstracoditām: enjoined by scripture
• śāstracoditām: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śāstra + codita (प्रातिपदिके; codita = √cud/चुद् क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (तृतीया-तत्पुरुष: ‘śāstreṇa coditā’); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; यातनां विशेषयति

Speaker

Deductive: Skanda (Kārttikeya) narrating within Āvantya Khaṇḍa’s Reva Khaṇḍa frame

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A Yama-loka tableau: sinners who bound creatures are driven toward the hells Peṣaṇa and Śoṣaṇa; dark corridors, iron implements, and the presence of Yama’s attendants; the text emphasizes ‘śāstra-ordained’ torment.

Characters & Entities

• Peṣaṇa (Naraka)
• Śoṣaṇa (Naraka)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Enslaving or cruelly restraining beings is a serious adharma; scripture depicts proportionate consequences to cultivate compassion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is praised in this verse; it is a doctrinal description within the Reva Khaṇḍa’s Revā-region framework.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the implied prescription is to avoid cruelty and bondage of beings, and to practice dharmic compassion.