Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 72

Devanagari script

दृष्टश्चान्यो महाज्वालस्तत्रैव विषभोजनः । नरकौ दंशमशकौ तथा यमलपर्वतौ

Transliteration

dṛṣṭaścānyo mahājvālastatraiva viṣabhojanaḥ | narakau daṃśamaśakau tathā yamalaparvatau

Translation

Et l’on y vit encore d’autres (enfers) : Mahājvāla, et là même Viṣabhojana ; les enfers nommés Daṃśa et Maśaka ; ainsi que les deux Yamalaparvata jumeaux.

Word by Word

• दृष्टः: seen
• दृष्टः: Karma (Object/कर्म) (implicit, in passive sense)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु) → दृष्ट (कृदन्त/भूतकृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; used predicatively = 'seen/was seen'

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• अन्यः: another (one)
• अन्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• महाज्वालः: the great-flame (name of a hell/torment)
• महाज्वालः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता) (apposition to अन्यः)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (उपसर्ग/पूर्वपद) + ज्वाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः = 'great-flame'

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (locative adverb)

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चय/अवधारणार्थक अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• विषभोजनः: poison-eater (name)
• विषभोजनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता) (apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष (प्रातिपदिक) + भोजन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः/उपपद-तत्पुरुषः = 'poison-eater'

• नरकौ: two hells / (the pair) Naraka
• नरकौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता) (listed items)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नरक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), द्विवचन

• दंशमशकौ: gadflies and mosquitoes
• दंशमशकौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता) (listed items)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दंश (प्रातिपदिक) + मशक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), द्विवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः = 'gadflies and mosquitoes'

• तथा: also/likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/प्रकारवाचक अव्यय (also/likewise)

• यमलपर्वतौ: the twin mountains
• यमलपर्वतौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता) (listed items)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यमल (प्रातिपदिक) + पर्वत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), द्विवचन; कर्मधारयः = 'twin mountains'

Speaker

Narrator

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A visionary catalogue of hell-realms: blazing Mahājvāla, poison-feeding Viṣabhojana, biting-stinging Daṃśa and Maśaka, and the ominous twin mountains Yamalaparvata—seen as stations in Yama’s domain.

Characters & Entities

• Mahājvāla
• Viṣabhojana
• Daṃśa
• Maśaka
• Yamalaparvata

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The sheer variety of narakas underscores that karma is precise; dharma and tīrtha-alignment are presented as safeguards.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not explicitly; the list supports the Revā-kṣetra māhātmya by contrasting hellish outcomes with Narmadā’s saving merit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it continues the enumeration of infernal regions.