Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 90

Devanagari script

इत्यादिजल्पन्दुर्वृत्तैः श्रूयते दूरतो यमः । स्वकर्मशंकितैः पापै र्दृश्यतेति भयंकरः

Transliteration

ityādijalpandurvṛttaiḥ śrūyate dūrato yamaḥ | svakarmaśaṃkitaiḥ pāpai rdṛśyateti bhayaṃkaraḥ

Translation

Par de tels propos et d’autres semblables, proférés par les méchants, Yama se fait entendre de loin ; et les pécheurs, tremblant de leurs propres actes, le voient : ainsi est-il redoutable.

Word by Word

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Discourse marker/उद्धरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उद्धरण/समाप्ति-निपात (quotative particle)

• आदि: and the like
• आदि: Sambandha (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आदि (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययप्राय)
• Form: अव्यय; ‘etc.’ अर्थे (indeclinable meaning ‘and so on’)

• जल्पन्: babbling
• जल्पन्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जल्प् (धातु) → जल्पत् (शतृ)
• Form: वर्तमानकालिक कृदन्त (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (masculine; nominative singular; ‘babbling’)

• दुर्वृत्तैः: by the wicked (people)
• दुर्वृत्तैः: Karana (Instrument/Agentive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुर् (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + वृत्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/instrumental), बहुवचन (masculine; instrumental plural; ‘by the wicked’)

• श्रूयते: is heard
• श्रूयते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive) (present passive: ‘is heard’)

• दूरतः: from afar
• दूरतः: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दूरतः (अव्यय; दूरतस्)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of place: ‘from afar’)

• यमः: Yama (lord of death)
• यमः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/nominative), एकवचन (masculine; nominative singular)

• स्वकर्मशंकितैः: by those fearful due to their own deeds
• स्वकर्मशंकितैः: Karana (Instrument/Agentive/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्व (प्रातिपदिक) + कर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + शंकित (कृदन्त; √शङ्क्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/instrumental), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (‘स्वकर्मणा शंकिताः’) (masculine; instrumental plural)

• पापैः: by sinners
• पापैः: Karana (Instrument/Agentive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/instrumental), बहुवचन (masculine; instrumental plural)

• दृश्यते: is seen
• दृश्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive) (present passive: ‘is seen/appears’)

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Discourse marker/उद्धरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उद्धरण/समाप्ति-निपात (quotative particle)

• भयंकरः: terrifying
• भयंकरः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भयंकर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (‘भयं करोति’) (masculine; nominative singular)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: From afar, ominous sounds and voices of the wicked are heard; Yama is not yet fully visible, but his presence looms—shadowed silhouette, buffalo emblem, and a distant court—while sinners recoil, haunted by their own deeds.

Characters & Entities

• Yama

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Fear of divine justice arises from one’s own karma; purity of conduct removes that dread.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The surrounding Kāśīkhaṇḍa discourse is Kāśī-centric, presenting dharma and liberation against the sanctity of Vārāṇasī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the verse urges ethical living to avoid fear born of wrongdoing.