Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

यमुनेशं प्रतीच्यां च नरैर्भक्त्या समर्चितम् । अपि किल्बिषवद्भिश्च यमलोकनिवारणम्

Transliteration

yamuneśaṃ pratīcyāṃ ca narairbhaktyā samarcitam | api kilbiṣavadbhiśca yamalokanivāraṇam

Translation

Et à l’ouest se trouve Yamuneśa, honoré par les hommes avec dévotion. Même pour ceux chargés de fautes, il écarte le (redouté) royaume de Yama.

Word by Word

• yamunā-īśam: Lord of Yamunā (name of a liṅga)
• yamunā-īśam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yamunā (प्रातिपदिक) + īśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); तत्पुरुष—‘यमुनायाः ईशः’

• pratīcyām: in the west
• pratīcyām: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pratīcī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular); दिशावाचक

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• naraiḥ: by men
• naraiḥ: Karana (Agent-instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (Plural)

• bhaktyā: with devotion
• bhaktyā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhakti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• samarcitam: worshipped
• samarcitam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sam-√arc (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle, क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); ‘well-worshipped’

• api: even
• api: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle)

• kilbiṣa-vadbhiḥ: by sinful (people)
• kilbiṣa-vadbhiḥ: Karana (Agent-instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kilbiṣa (प्रातिपदिक) + vat (प्रत्यय/तद्धित)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (Plural); तद्धितान्त ‘-वत्’ = ‘possessed of’

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• yama-loka-nivāraṇam: that which wards off Yama’s world (hell)
• yama-loka-nivāraṇam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: yama (प्रातिपदिक) + loka (प्रातिपदिक) + nivāraṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); तत्पुरुष—‘यमलोकस्य निवारणम्’

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśī Khaṇḍa context, Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Yamuneśa Liṅga

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A western shrine at twilight; devotees with folded hands offer lamps to a liṅga; in the background, a shadowy Yama figure recedes, his noose loosening, symbolizing ‘Yamaloka-nivāraṇa’.

Characters & Entities

• Yamuneśa Liṅga
• Yama
• Yamaloka
• bhakti (devotion)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotional worship in Kāśī is portrayed as a powerful refuge, capable of cutting through sin and fear of post-mortem punishment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Yamuneśa (a Liṅga/shrine) situated to the west within the Triviṣṭapa sacred zone of Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Bhakti-based worship (samarcana) of Yamuneśa is highlighted as the means to avert Yamaloka.