Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 71

Devanagari script

दूतान्संभर्त्सयामास यमो धर्मभृतां वरः । पाशैर्बद्धं चंद्रसेनं मुक्त्वा प्रोवाच धर्मराट्

Transliteration

dūtānsaṃbhartsayāmāsa yamo dharmabhṛtāṃ varaḥ | pāśairbaddhaṃ caṃdrasenaṃ muktvā provāca dharmarāṭ

Translation

Yama, le plus éminent gardien du dharma, réprimanda ses messagers. Délivrant Candrasena des liens du lacet, le Seigneur de la Justice prit la parole.

Word by Word

• दूतान्: messengers
• दूतान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), बहुवचन — Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• संभर्त्सयामास: rebuked, scolded
• संभर्त्सयामास: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्+भर्त्स् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद — Perfect, 3rd person, singular, active

• यमः: Yama
• यमः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• धर्मभृताम्: of the upholders of dharma
• धर्मभृताम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म+भृत् (प्रातिपदिक; भृत् = धारणकर्ता)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• वरः: the best
• वरः: Viśeṣya (Predicate nominative/विशेष्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• पाशैः: with nooses
• पाशैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), बहुवचन — Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• बद्धम्: bound
• बद्धम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बन्ध् (धातु) → बद्ध (कृदन्त-भूतकृदन्त/PPP)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Past passive participle, Neuter, Accusative, Singular (agreeing with चन्द्रसेनम्)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• चन्द्रसेनम्: Chandrasena
• चन्द्रसेनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चन्द्रसेन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन — Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• मुक्त्वा: having freed
• मुक्त्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मुच् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (absolutive/gerund) — having released

• प्रोवाच: said, spoke
• प्रोवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र+वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद — Perfect, 3rd person, singular, active

• धर्मराट्: the king of dharma (Yama)
• धर्मराट्: Karta (Apposition to subject/कर्ता-समनाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म+राज् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra/Kedāranātha kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Yama, radiant and stern yet compassionate, halts his dark messengers; Candrasena is shown bound by luminous noose-bonds being released, with a distant Himalayan shrine aura suggesting Kedāra’s sanctity.

Characters & Entities

• Yama
• Yama-dūtas
• Candrasena

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma itself honors devotion; even Yama, the judge, yields when higher divine allegiance is recognized.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not specified in this verse; it is part of the Kedāra māhātmya narrative arc.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse depicts divine/legal intervention (release from pāśa).