Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 70

Devanagari script

तार्यते च नदीं घोरां पूयशोणितवाहिनीम् । नदीं वैतरणीं नाम केशशैवलशाद्वलाम्

Transliteration

tāryate ca nadīṃ ghorāṃ pūyaśoṇitavāhinīm | nadīṃ vaitaraṇīṃ nāma keśaśaivalaśādvalām

Translation

Et on le fait traverser un fleuve effroyable qui charrie pus et sang — le fleuve nommé Vaitaraṇī — dont les rives sont emmêlées de cheveux et couvertes d’algues visqueuses et d’herbes.

Word by Word

• तार्यते: is made to cross / is ferried across
• तार्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तॄ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), कर्मणि प्रयोगः (Passive), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय

• नदीम्: river
• नदीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नदी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• घोराम्: terrible
• घोराम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: घोर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (नदीम्)

• पूयशोणितवाहिनीम्: carrying pus and blood
• पूयशोणितवाहिनीम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूय + शोणित + वाहिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषसमासः (पूयशोणितं वहति इति); विशेषणम् (नदीम्)

• नदीम्: the river
• नदीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नदी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• वैतरणीम्: Vaitaraṇī
• वैतरणीम्: Samjna (Apposition/संज्ञा)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैतरणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• नाम: by name
• नाम: Samjna (Naming particle/संज्ञा)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; संज्ञासूचक-निपात (particle indicating name: 'by name')

• केशशैवलशाद्वलाम्: having hair, algae, and grass (as its growth)
• केशशैवलशाद्वलाम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: केश + शैवल + शाद्वल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वसमासः (केश-शैवल-शाद्वल); विशेषणम् (नदीम्)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa/Sūta (deduced for Māheśvara-khaṇḍa narrative style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vaitaraṇī

Type: river

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A horrific river of pus and blood, banks tangled with hair and slimy weeds; the sinner is forced to ford it under yamadūtas’ command.

Characters & Entities

• Vaitaraṇī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sin leads to a dreadful afterlife passage; dharma and merit are portrayed as the true safeguards beyond death.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No earthly tīrtha is praised; the verse describes the otherworldly Vaitaraṇī of Yama’s realm.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly in this verse; the chapter context links ease of passage to righteous deeds and charitable giving.