Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 31

Devanagari script

गच्छंति यममार्गेण देहं संस्थाप्य भूतले । षडशीतिसहस्राणि यममार्गः प्रकीर्तितः

Transliteration

gacchaṃti yamamārgeṇa dehaṃ saṃsthāpya bhūtale | ṣaḍaśītisahasrāṇi yamamārgaḥ prakīrtitaḥ

Translation

Ils cheminent par la route de Yama, laissant le corps établi sur la terre. On proclame que la voie de Yama s’étend sur quatre-vingt-six mille (mesures).

Word by Word

• गच्छन्ति: go
• गच्छन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: gam (गम् धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः (Present) परस्मैपदम्; प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd person) बहुवचनम्

• यममार्गेण: by the path of Yama
• यममार्गेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yama (यम) + mārga (मार्ग)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental) एकवचनम्; ‘यमस्य मार्गः’ इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः

• देहम्: the body
• देहम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deha (देह प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative) एकवचनम्

• संस्थाप्य: having placed
• संस्थाप्य: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-sthā (सम्+स्था धातु)
• Form: ल्यप्/क्त्वान्त-समकक्ष (Gerund) ‘संस्थाप्य’ = having placed/established

• भूतले: on the ground
• भूतले: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhū-tala (भू + तल प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे सप्तमी (7th/Locative) एकवचनम्; ‘भूतेः तलम्’ इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः

• षडशीतिसहस्राणि: eighty-six thousand
• षडशीतिसहस्राणि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ṣaḍaśīti (षडशीति संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + sahasra (सहस्र प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd) बहुवचनम्; द्विगु-समासः (संख्यापूर्वकः)

• यममार्गः: the path of Yama
• यममार्गः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yama (यम) + mārga (मार्ग)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा (1st/Nominative) एकवचनम्; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः

• प्रकीर्तितः: is proclaimed/declared
• प्रकीर्तितः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-kīrt (प्र+कीर्त् धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा एकवचनम्

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A long, desolate road stretching into a dim horizon; a departed being leaving the body on earth while subtle attendants guide toward Yama’s path; distance emphasized by repeating milestones.

Characters & Entities

• Yama

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The post-death journey is long and law-governed; spiritual preparation in life matters.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not specified in this line; it provides cosmological framing within a pilgrimage-glorifying section.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; it implicitly supports dharma, dāna, and tīrtha-merit as aids against hardship.