Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 58

Devanagari script

एकविंशतिमा चैषा नाम्ना वैतरणी नदी । सर्वैरेव नरैर्गम्या धर्मपापानुयायिभिः

Transliteration

ekaviṃśatimā caiṣā nāmnā vaitaraṇī nadī | sarvaireva narairgamyā dharmapāpānuyāyibhiḥ

Translation

Voici la vingt-et-unième : la rivière nommée Vaitaraṇī, vers laquelle tous les hommes doivent se rendre, qu’ils aient suivi le dharma ou couru après le péché.

Word by Word

• एकविंशतिमा: twenty-first
• एकविंशतिमा: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एकविंशति (संख्याप्रातिपदिक) + म (तद्धित)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्रमवाचक (21st)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-बोधक अव्यय

• एषा: this (she/this one)
• एषा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• नाम्ना: by name
• नाम्ना: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• वैतरणी: Vaitaraṇī (river name)
• वैतरणी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैतरणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• नदी: river
• नदी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नदी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सर्वैः: by all
• सर्वैः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण (agreeing with नरैः)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चय/अवधारणार्थक अव्यय (emphatic particle: indeed)

• नरैः: by men
• नरैः: Karana (Agent in passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• गम्या: to be crossed/approached
• गम्या: Kriya-Viseshana (Predicate adjective/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गम् (धातु) → गम्य (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भाव्य/कर्तव्यतार्थक कृदन्त (gerundive), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मणि-भाव (to be gone to)

• धर्मपापानुयायिभिः: by followers of virtue and sin
• धर्मपापानुयायिभिः: Karana (Agent in passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + पाप (प्रातिपदिक) + अनुयायिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; द्वन्द्व (धर्मः च पापं च) + तत्पुरुष (अनुयायिनः = followers)

Speaker

Yama

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vaitaraṇī

Type: river

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dvija/vipra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A dark, wide river with churning currents; on one bank stand souls of varied conduct—some calm with lamps and garlands, others terrified; a narrow crossing appears (boat/cow-assisted ford as symbolic), with Yama’s attendants overseeing.

Characters & Entities

• Yama
• Vaitaraṇī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Every being faces the consequences of karma; dharma prepares one to pass difficult thresholds in the afterlife.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse mentions Vaitaraṇī as an otherworldly river in Yama’s realm, not a terrestrial pilgrimage spot in this specific line.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Not in this verse; the next verses connect Vaitaraṇī-crossing with the gift of a cow (go-dāna).