Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 37

Devanagari script

तत्राहं नरके घोरे वर्षाणामयुतत्रयम् । रेतः पिबन्पीड्यमानो न्यवसं यमकिंकरैः

Transliteration

tatrāhaṃ narake ghore varṣāṇāmayutatrayam | retaḥ pibanpīḍyamāno nyavasaṃ yamakiṃkaraiḥ

Translation

Là, dans cet enfer effroyable, je suis resté trente mille ans, forcé de boire de la semence et torturé par les serviteurs de Yama.

Word by Word

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (देशवाचक) = indeclinable adverb (“there”)

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा, एकवचन = nominative singular (“I”)

• नरके: in hell
• नरके: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नरक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन = locative singular (“in hell”)

• घोरे: terrible
• घोरे: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: घोर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन = locative singular; विशेषण of नरके

• वर्षाणाम्: of years
• वर्षाणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन = genitive plural (“of years”)

• अयुतत्रयम्: three myriads (30,000)
• अयुतत्रयम्: Kaaladhikarana (Duration/काल-अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अयुत (प्रातिपदिक) + त्रय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन = accusative singular (measure); समासः: अयुत-त्रय (द्विगु, “three myriads” = 30,000)

• रेतः: semen
• रेतः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रेतस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन = accusative singular (“semen”)

• पिबन्: drinking
• पिबन्: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √पा (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त: शतृ (वर्तमानकृदन्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन = present active participle, nom sg (“drinking”)

• पीड्यमानः: being tormented
• पीड्यमानः: Kriya (Concurrent state/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √पीड् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त: शानच् (वर्तमानकृदन्त, कर्मणि), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन = present passive participle, nom sg (“being tormented”)

• न्यवसम्: I stayed
• न्यवसम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि- (उपसर्ग) + √वस् (धातु, “to dwell”)
• Form: लङ् (अनद्यतनभूत), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद = imperfect, 1st sg (“I dwelt/stayed”)

• यमकिंकरैः: by Yama’s attendants
• यमकिंकरैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यम (प्रातिपदिक) + किंकर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन = instrumental plural; समासः: यम-किंकर (तत्पुरुष, “servants of Yama”)

Speaker

Unknown (a male narrator recounting hell-torment; not identifiable from snippet alone)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Naraka-kunda (hell-pit)

Type: kund

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A fiery, smoke-filled hell-pit where the condemned is forced into degrading punishment while Yamadūtas strike and jeer; the sense is claustrophobic, dark, and infernal, with time suggested by repeating cycles (wheels/hourglasses).

Characters & Entities

• Yama
• Yamadūta

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Grave violations of dharma bear intense, long-lasting consequences; the Purāṇa uses stark imagery to warn and reform.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned; the setting is naraka under Yama’s administration.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse.