Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 42

Devanagari script

प्राणरोधाख्यनरके पात्यते यमकिंकरैः । स्नाति चेद्धनुषः कोटौ तस्मिन्नासौ निपात्यते

Transliteration

prāṇarodhākhyanarake pātyate yamakiṃkaraiḥ | snāti ceddhanuṣaḥ koṭau tasminnāsau nipātyate

Translation

Les serviteurs de Yama le jettent dans l’enfer nommé Prāṇarodha, «l’étouffement de la vie». Même s’il se baigne à Dhanus-koṭi, sur le Setu, il est pourtant précipité en ce lieu.

Word by Word

• प्राणरोधाख्यनरके: in the hell called ‘Prāṇarodha’
• प्राणरोधाख्यनरके: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राण + रोध + आख्य + नरक (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन — Masculine, Locative (7th), Singular; समासः: (प्राणरोध-आख्य) नरकः ‘hell named prāṇarodha’ (बहुस्तरीय-तत्पुरुष)

• पात्यते: is thrown down
• पात्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पत्/पातय् (धातु; causative of √पत्)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन, कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive) — Present, 3rd person, Singular, Passive

• यमकिंकरैः: by Yama’s servants
• यमकिंकरैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यम + किंकर (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), बहुवचन — Masculine, Instrumental (3rd), Plural; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (यमस्य किंकराः)

• स्नाति: bathes
• स्नाति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद — Present, 3rd person, Singular, Parasmaipada

• चेत्: if
• चेत्: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: चेत् (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्तार्थक-अव्यय — conditional particle ‘if’

• धनुषः: of the bow
• धनुषः: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धनुस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन — Neuter, Genitive (6th), Singular

• कोटौ: at the tip/end
• कोटौ: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कोटि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन — Feminine, Locative (7th), Singular

• तस्मिन्: there/in that (place)
• तस्मिन्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन — (Masc/Neut) Locative (7th), Singular

• न: not
• न: Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय — negation ‘not’

• असौ: that person (he)
• असौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अदस् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative (1st), Singular

• निपात्यते: is cast down (into)
• निपात्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पत्/पातय् (धातु; causative of √पत्) + नि- (उपसर्ग)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन, कर्मणि-प्रयोग — Present, 3rd person, Singular, Passive; उपसर्ग: नि

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Setukhaṇḍa narrative style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dhanus-koṭi (Setu)

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Yama’s servants drag the sinner and cast him into the Prāṇarodha hell; juxtaposed is the image of Dhanus-koṭi sea-shore snāna that fails to avert the fall due to the gravity of the sin.

Characters & Entities

• Prāṇarodha-naraka
• Yama
• Setu
• Dhanuskoṭi

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Some acts are portrayed as so life-denying that they lead to the ‘Prāṇarodha’ consequence, beyond what mere ritual bathing can offset.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Setu’s Dhanus-koṭi is referenced as a notable bathing-place.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Snāna at Dhanus-koṭi is mentioned, but said not to protect the implied offender from Prāṇarodha hell.