Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 56

Devanagari script

यमदूताः पलायंते सतीमालोक्य दूरतः । अपि दुष्कृतकर्माणं समुत्सृज्य च तत्पतिम्

Transliteration

yamadūtāḥ palāyaṃte satīmālokya dūrataḥ | api duṣkṛtakarmāṇaṃ samutsṛjya ca tatpatim

Translation

Les messagers de Yama s’enfuient en voyant une satī, même de loin, abandonnant même son époux, fût-il auteur d’actes mauvais.

Word by Word

• यमदूताः: Yama's messengers
• यमदूताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yama + dūta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/कर्ता), बहुवचन (Plural); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: यमस्य दूताः

• पलायन्ते: flee away
• पलायन्ते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √palāy (धातु: पलाय्)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (Plural), आत्मनेपद (Ātmanepada)

• सतीम्: the virtuous wife
• सतीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: satī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), द्वितीया (Accusative/कर्म), एकवचन (Singular)

• आलोक्य: having seen
• आलोक्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā√lok (धातु: लोक्)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Gerund/Absolutive), पूर्वकाल (having seen); उपसर्ग: आ-

• दूरतः: from afar
• दूरतः: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: dūratas (अव्यय/तद्धित)
• Form: अव्यय (Avyaya), देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of place)

• अपि: even, also
• अपि: Discourse particle (Nipata/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (Avyaya), अवधान/समुच्चयार्थ (particle: even/also)

• दुष्कृतकर्माणम्: one of evil deeds
• दुष्कृतकर्माणम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: duṣkṛta + karman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया (Accusative/कर्म), एकवचन (Singular); कर्मधारय: दुष्कृतं कर्म यस्य (as adjective to पति)

• समुत्सृज्य: having let go/abandoned
• समुत्सृज्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-ut√sṛj (धातु: सृज्)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Gerund/Absolutive), पूर्वकाल (having released/abandoned); उपसर्ग: सम्-उत्-

• च: and
• च: Connector (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (Avyaya), समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• तत्पतिम्: her husband
• तत्पतिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tat + pati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया (Accusative/कर्म), एकवचन (Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: तस्य पतिः (i.e., her husband)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśī-khaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrimage-inquirer audience

Visual Art Cues

Scene: From afar, yamadūtas spot a radiant pativratā approaching; they drop their nooses and flee, leaving behind a trembling, guilt-laden husband now under her protection.

Characters & Entities

• Yamadūtas
• Yama

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The text emphasizes the extraordinary protective potency attributed to steadfast dharma embodied by a pativratā.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse does not name a tīrtha; it continues Kāśī-khaṇḍa’s dharma-praise within the sacred geography narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse describes a consequence (Yamadūtas retreat) rather than a prescribed rite.