Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 20
Devanagari script
ख्यातौ चित्रविचित्रौ च कायस्थौ यममंदिरे
Transliteration
khyātau citravicitrau ca kāyasthau yamamaṃdire
Translation
Dans la demeure de Yama, deux scribes renommés sont connus : Citra et Vicitra, les kāyastha, gardiens des registres.
Word by Word
ख्यातौwell-known (two)
ख्यातौ:
Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootख्यात (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), द्विवचन; 'चित्रविचित्रौ' इत्यस्य विशेषणम्
चित्रःCitra (name)
चित्रः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootचित्र (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; द्वन्द्व-समुच्चयस्य प्रथमः
विचित्रःVicitra (name)
विचित्रः:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootविचित्र (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; द्वन्द्व-समुच्चयस्य द्वितीयः
चand
च:
Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootच (अव्यय)
Formसमुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)
कायस्थौtwo scribes (kāyasthas)
कायस्थौ:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootकायस्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), द्विवचन; 'लेखक-जातिः/कायस्थौ'
यममंदिरेin Yama's abode
यममंदिरे:
Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootयम-मन्दिर (प्रातिपदिक; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; अधिकरणम्
Speaker
Bhīṣma (continued)
Visual Art Cues
Scene: Within Yama’s abode stand two famed scribes, Citra and Vicitra, the kāyasthas—figures holding scrolls/ledgers, styluses, and seals, embodying the cosmic audit of deeds.
Characters & Entities
Y
YamaC
CitraV
VicitraFAQs
The Purāṇic vision presents moral order as accountable: deeds are ‘recorded’ and evaluated, reinforcing responsibility.
No tīrtha is specified; the verse describes Yama’s cosmic administration.
None; it is descriptive of Yamaloka’s functionaries.