Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 77

Devanagari script

ततो यामैर्हिमर्तौ ते नीयंतेऽद्रौ हिमालये । अशनावरणैर्हीनाः क्लेश्यंते ते दिवानिशम्

Transliteration

tato yāmairhimartau te nīyaṃte'drau himālaye | aśanāvaraṇairhīnāḥ kleśyaṃte te divāniśam

Translation

Puis, en la saison d’hiver, les Yāmas les conduisent sur une montagne de l’Himālaya; privés de nourriture et d’abri, ils souffrent jour et nuit.

Word by Word

• ततः: then
• ततः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रमवाचक (then)

• यामैः: by the Yāmas (attendants)
• यामैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: याम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• हिमर्तौ: in the winter season
• हिमर्तौ: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हिम + ऋतु (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (हिमस्य ऋतुः)

• ते: they
• ते: Karman (Patient/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा, बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• नीयन्ते: are led
• नीयन्ते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नी (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive)

• अद्रौ: on the mountain
• अद्रौ: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अद्रि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• हिमालये: in the Himalaya
• हिमालये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हिमालय (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (हिमस्य आलयः)

• अशनावरणैः: with coverings of food (i.e., food/means of sustenance as protection)
• अशनावरणैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अशन + आवरण (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (अशनस्य आवरणम्)

• हीनाः: deprived of
• हीनाः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हीन (प्रातिपदिक; भूतकृदन्त-विशेषण)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participial adjective); विशेषणम् (ते)

• क्लेश्यन्ते: are tormented
• क्लेश्यन्ते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: क्लिश् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive)

• ते: they
• ते: Karman (Patient/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा, बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• दिवानिशम्: day and night
• दिवानिशम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दिवा + निशा (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: अव्ययीभावः; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Himālaya (as landscape reference)

Type: peak

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Yāmas drive shivering sinners up a snow-laden Himalayan slope under a pale winter sky; no food, no shelter; bodies hunched, breath visible; relentless night and day in icy wind.

Characters & Entities

• Yāma-gaṇa
• Himālaya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The text dramatizes karmic retribution across harsh landscapes to instill fear of adharma and respect for sacred living.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī (by contrast); Himālaya is mentioned as a punitive destination, not as a tīrtha in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None.