Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 33

Devanagari script

इत्याकर्ण्य यमः शापं मातर्यतिविशंकितः । अभ्येत्य पितरं प्राह प्रणिपातपुरस्सरम्

Transliteration

ityākarṇya yamaḥ śāpaṃ mātaryativiśaṃkitaḥ | abhyetya pitaraṃ prāha praṇipātapurassaram

Translation

Ayant entendu cette malédiction, Yama fut profondément troublé au sujet de sa mère. Il s’approcha de son père et parla, après s’être d’abord prosterné avec révérence.

Word by Word

• iti: thus
• iti: Sambandha (Quotation marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; इति-शब्दः (quotative particle)

• ākarṇya: having heard
• ākarṇya: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (पूर्वक्रिया/Adverbial to main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā√karṇ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Gerund/Absolutive); पूर्वक्रिया; ‘आकर्ण्य’ = having heard

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

• śāpam: curse
• śāpam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śāpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative); एकवचन

• mātari: in/with regard to (his) mother
• mātari: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mātṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (7th/Locative); एकवचन

• ati-viśaṅkitaḥ: greatly anxious/very apprehensive
• ati-viśaṅkitaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of yamaḥ/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ati (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + viśaṅkita (कृदन्त; √śaṅk)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन; ‘अति’ उपसर्गार्थे = अत्यन्तम्

• abhyetya: having approached
• abhyetya: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (पूर्वक्रिया/Adverbial)
• Type: Verb
• Root: abhi√i (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Gerund/Absolutive); ‘अभ्येत्य’ = having approached

• pitaram: (his) father
• pitaram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pitṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative); एकवचन

• prāha: said/spoke
• prāha: Kriyā (Main action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √ah (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect); प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person); एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• praṇipāta-purassaram: with prostration in front/preceded by obeisance
• praṇipāta-purassaram: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Manner/रीति)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: praṇipāta (प्रातिपदिक) + purassara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास (पूर्वक-भावः: ‘प्रणिपातः पुरः यस्य/येन’); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणवत् (adverbial accusative)

Speaker

Purāṇic narrator (contextual)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Yama, visibly troubled, approaches his father with folded hands and bows before speaking; a court-like divine setting emphasizing hierarchy and restraint.

Characters & Entities

• Yama
• Mother (Saṃjñā/Chāyā context)
• Father (Vivasvān/Sūrya context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even powerful beings uphold dharma by approaching elders with humility; reverence precedes inquiry.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse is narrative within Dharmāraṇya Khaṇḍa; no specific tīrtha is explicitly praised in this line.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is prescribed; the conduct shown is ethical—praṇipāta (respectful prostration) before speaking.