Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 88

Devanagari script

ते यान्ति नरकं घोरं तामिस्रं नात्र संशयः । तत्र वर्षशतस्यान्ते इह मानुष्यतां गताः

Transliteration

te yānti narakaṃ ghoraṃ tāmisraṃ nātra saṃśayaḥ | tatra varṣaśatasyānte iha mānuṣyatāṃ gatāḥ

Translation

Ils vont sans nul doute dans l’effroyable enfer nommé Tāmisra. Après cent ans passés là, ils reviennent ici à une naissance humaine.

Word by Word

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; निर्देश-सर्वनाम (demonstrative pronoun)

• यान्ति: go
• यान्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• नरकम्: to hell
• नरकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नरक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• घोरम्: terrible
• घोरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: घोर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; नरकम् इति विशेषण

• तामिस्रम्: Tāmisra (a hell)
• तामिस्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तामिस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; नरकविशेष-नाम

• न: not
• न: Sambandha/Particle (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• अत्र: here/in this matter
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• संशयः: doubt
• संशयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संशय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

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

• वर्षशतस्य: of a hundred years
• वर्षशतस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ष + शत (प्रातिपदिक); वर्ष-शत
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन; द्विगु-समास (numerical: 'hundred years')

• अन्ते: at the end
• अन्ते: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

• इह: here
• इह: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• मानुष्यताम्: human state
• मानुष्यताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मानुष्यता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• गताः: having attained/come to
• गताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु) + क्त (प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; कर्तरि प्रयोग (agreeing with ते)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Skanda Purana narrative style within Āvantya Khaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) tīrtha-mahātmya context

Type: river

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A dark, suffocating hell named Tāmisra—souls bound and driven by Yama’s attendants—followed by a symbolic gate of return to human birth after a hundred years.

Characters & Entities

• Tāmisra (Naraka)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Adharma leads to darkness-like suffering (Tāmisra), yet karmic cycles continue until one reforms.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not specified in this verse; the Revā Khaṇḍa context relates to the sanctity of the Narmadā region.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; it continues the karmic warning framework.