Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 31

Devanagari script

अयस्मयाग्निकुंडेषु संदंशैः सोऽतिपीडितः । संदंशे नरके घोरे पात्यते यमपूरुषैः

Transliteration

ayasmayāgnikuṃḍeṣu saṃdaṃśaiḥ so'tipīḍitaḥ | saṃdaṃśe narake ghore pātyate yamapūruṣaiḥ

Translation

Tourmenté par des tenailles de fer dans des fosses de feu flamboyant, il est précipité par les messagers de Yama dans l’effroyable enfer nommé Saṃdaṃśa.

Word by Word

• अयस्मय: made of iron
• अयस्मय: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अयस्मय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifier)

• अग्निकुण्डेषु: in fire-pits
• अग्निकुण्डेषु: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक) + कुण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (agnīnāṃ kuṇḍeṣu)

• संदंशैः: with tongs/pincers
• संदंशैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संदंश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• अतिपीडितः: severely tormented
• अतिपीडितः: Karta (Subject-complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अति (उपसर्ग) + पीड् (धातु) → पीडित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle/क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• संदंशे: in (the hell called) Saṃdaṃśa
• संदंशे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संदंश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन

• नरके: in hell
• नरके: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नरक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• घोरे: terrible
• घोरे: Adhikarana (Locative qualifier/अधिकरण-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: घोर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• पात्यते: is made to fall / is cast down
• पात्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पत् (धातु) + णिच् (causative) → पातयति; कर्मणि प्रयोगः
• Form: लट् (Present/लट्), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि (passive)

• यमपूरुषैः: by Yama's attendants
• यमपूरुषैः: Karana (Agent-instrument in passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यम (प्रातिपदिक) + पुरुष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (yamasya puruṣaiḥ)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Setu-khaṇḍa narrative voice within Brahmakhaṇḍa)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dvijāḥ (addressed audience)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A blazing iron fire-pit; Yama’s attendants wield iron tongs, dragging a terrified sinner toward the Saṃdaṃśa naraka; flames and smoke dominate, with a distant shadow of Yama’s court implied.

Characters & Entities

• Yama
• Yamapūruṣa
• Saṃdaṃśa (naraka)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Adharma brings proportionate suffering; the graphic imagery is meant to deter injustice and exploitation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is named in this verse; it details naraka-phala (results of sin).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; the verse describes punitive consequence.