Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

अथ प्राह यमो दूतं रौद्रमूर्धशिरोरुहम् । गच्छ भो मथुरां शीघ्रं देवशर्माणमानय

Transliteration

atha prāha yamo dūtaṃ raudramūrdhaśiroruham | gaccha bho mathurāṃ śīghraṃ devaśarmāṇamānaya

Translation

Entonces Yama habló a su mensajero, de cabeza y cabellera terribles: «Ve, buen hombre, pronto a Mathurā y tráeme a Devaśarman».

Word by Word

• atha: then
• atha: Sambandha (Discourse connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (conjunctive adverb)

• prāha: said
• prāha: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√ah (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect/परोक्षभूत), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• yamaḥ: Yama
• yamaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन

• dūtam: to the messenger
• dūtam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dūta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• raudramūrdhaśiroruham: having fierce hair on the head
• raudramūrdhaśiroruham: Visheshana (Qualifier of object/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: raudra-mūrdha-śiroruh (प्रातिपदिक; रौद्र + मूर्धन् + शिरोरुह)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुष-समासः; दूतम् इति विशेषण

• gaccha: go
• gaccha: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: gam (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative/आज्ञा), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• bho: O!
• bho: Sambodhana (Address marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: bho (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (vocative particle/सम्बोधन-निपात)

• mathurām: to Mathurā
• mathurām: Karma (Goal as object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mathurā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• śīghram: quickly
• śīghram: Sambandha (Manner/रीति)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: śīghram (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb/शीघ्र)

• devaśarmāṇam: Devaśarmā
• devaśarmāṇam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva-śarman (प्रातिपदिक; देव + शर्मन्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (proper name)

• ānaya: bring
• ānaya: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-√nī (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative/आज्ञा), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Yama

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Mathurā (as destination named)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: In Yama’s court: Yama enthroned, stern yet lawful; a fearsome messenger with wild hair and terrifying head; Yama gestures commandingly toward the mortal world—‘Go to Mathurā.’

Characters & Entities

• Yama
• Yamadūta (messenger)
• Mathurā
• Devaśarman

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Purāṇic worldview portrays death as governed by moral order (dharma), administered through Yama’s agency.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Mathurā is named as the narrative location; the chapter’s ultimate focus remains Prabhāsa-kṣetra’s sacred power.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a narrative command initiating the plot.