Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 65

Devanagari script

षडशीतिसहस्राणि योजनानां महीतलात् । कृष्यमाणो यमपुरीं नीयते पापकृद्भटैः

Transliteration

ṣaḍaśītisahasrāṇi yojanānāṃ mahītalāt | kṛṣyamāṇo yamapurīṃ nīyate pāpakṛdbhaṭaiḥ

Translation

Dragged from the surface of the earth for eighty-six thousand yojanas, the doer of sin is taken by Yama’s guards to the city of Yama.

Word by Word

• षडशीतिसहस्राणि: eighty-six thousand (units)
• षडशीतिसहस्राणि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: षड् + अशीति + सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; द्विगुसमासः (संख्यापूर्वकः)

• योजनानाम्: of yojanas
• योजनानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योजन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• महीतलात्: from the surface of the earth
• महीतलात्: Apadana (Ablative source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महीतल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषसमासः (मही + तल)

• कृष्यमाणः: being dragged
• कृष्यमाणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृष् (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले कर्मणि कृदन्तः (शानच्/मान), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगे कर्तरि विशेषणम्

• यमपुरीम्: to Yama’s city
• यमपुरीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यमपुरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषसमासः (यमस्य पुरी)

• नीयते: is led/taken
• नीयते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नी (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), कर्मणि प्रयोगः (Passive), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• पापकृद्भटैः: by sinful soldiers
• पापकृद्भटैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पापकृत् + भट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; कर्मधारयसमासः (पापकृत् भटाः)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa framing)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Yama’s guards seize a sinner on earth and drag him downward across an immeasurable distance toward the dark city of Yama.

Characters & Entities

• Yamapurī
• Yama

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It stresses the inescapability and magnitude of karmic consequence for harmful actions.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Yamapurī is mentioned as Yama’s realm, not a pilgrimage tīrtha praised for merit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse is a cautionary description of the sinner’s post-death route.