Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 50

Devanagari script

एतच्छ्रुत्वा तु वचनं तौ काकौ यमभाषितम् । आगतौ शीघ्रगौ पार्थ दृष्ट्वा यमपुरं महत्

Transliteration

etacchrutvā tu vacanaṃ tau kākau yamabhāṣitam | āgatau śīghragau pārtha dṛṣṭvā yamapuraṃ mahat

Translation

Ayant entendu ces paroles dites par Yama, les deux corbeaux, prompts au vol, revinrent, ô Pārtha, après avoir vu la grande cité de Yama.

Word by Word

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; विशेषण (of vacanam)

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: श्रुत्वा (कृदन्त; √श्रु (धातु) + त्वा)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund), पूर्वकाल (having heard)

• तु: then/indeed
• तु: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle)

• वचनम्: statement/words
• वचनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; कर्म

• तौ: those two
• तौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), द्विवचन; सर्वनाम

• काकौ: two crows
• काकौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), द्विवचन; कर्ता

• यम-भाषितम्: spoken by Yama
• यम-भाषितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यम-भाषित (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त; यम + भाषित(√भाष् + क्त))
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; विशेषण (of vacanam)

• आगतौ: came/arrived
• आगतौ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आगत (कृदन्त; √गम् (धातु) + आ + क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle) used predicatively; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन; (they) came

• शीघ्र-गौ: swift-going
• शीघ्र-गौ: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शीघ्र-ग (प्रातिपदिक; शीघ्र + ग)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), द्विवचन; विशेषण (of the two)

• पार्थ: O Pārtha
• पार्थ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; संबोधन

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दृष्ट्वा (कृदन्त; √दृश् (धातु) + त्वा)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund), पूर्वकाल

• यमपुरम्: Yama’s city
• यमपुरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यम-पुर (प्रातिपदिक; यम + पुर)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; कर्म

• महत्: great
• महत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; विशेषण (of yamapuram)

Speaker

Narrator addressing Pārtha (Arjuna)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Two crows, having witnessed the vast city of Yama—dark gates, towering halls, scribes and messengers—take flight swiftly back to report; the scale of Yamapura is emphasized.

Characters & Entities

• Yama
• Yamapura
• Pārtha (Arjuna)
• Two crows

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic narratives use striking messengers and otherworld journeys to underline dharma’s judgments and the extraordinary refuge offered by tīrthas.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Indirectly Śukla Tīrtha on the Narmadā, since the crows’ mission relates to that tīrtha’s exemption from Yama’s domain.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it narrates the return after hearing Yama’s pronouncement.