Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

पात्यमानाः प्रजल्पंति पितरो यमकिंकरैः । मुक्तिर्भविष्यत्यस्माकं नरकाज्जागरे कृते

Transliteration

pātyamānāḥ prajalpaṃti pitaro yamakiṃkaraiḥ | muktirbhaviṣyatyasmākaṃ narakājjāgare kṛte

Translation

Traînés par les serviteurs de Yama, les ancêtres s'écrient : "Nous serons libérés de l'enfer lorsque la veille sera accomplie."

Word by Word

• pātyamānāḥ: being cast down / being thrown
• pātyamānāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pat (धातु) → pātyamāna (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले कर्मणि कृदन्त (present passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifying ‘pitaro’)

• prajalpanti: they speak / lament
• prajalpanti: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra + jalp (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• pitaraḥ: the forefathers
• pitaraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pitṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• yama-kiṃkaraiḥ: by the servants of Yama
• yama-kiṃkaraiḥ: Karaṇa (Instrument/Agent in passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yama (प्रातिपदिक) + kiṃkara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘yamasya kiṃkaraiḥ’ (by Yama’s servants)

• muktiḥ: liberation
• muktiḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mukti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• bhaviṣyati: will be
• bhaviṣyati: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• asmākam: of us / our
• asmākam: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• narakāt: from hell
• narakāt: Apādāna (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: naraka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

• jāgare: in/at the vigil
• jāgare: Adhikaraṇa (Occasion/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jāgara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• kṛte: when (it is) done
• kṛte: Adhikaraṇa (Locative absolute/सति-सप्तमी)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kṛ (धातु) → kṛta (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; ‘jāgare kṛte’ = सति-सप्तमी (locative absolute)

Speaker

Narrator within Dvārakā-māhātmya (contextual voice on pitṛ-uplift through Hari-jāgaraṇa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: In a dark underworld corridor, pitṛs are dragged by Yama’s attendants; above, a night-vigil for Hari is performed, and a beam of light descends, loosening their bonds.

Characters & Entities

• Pitṛs
• Yama
• Yamakiṅkaras

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotional observances for Hari can become a direct cause of relief and liberation for one’s ancestors.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The teaching occurs in the Dvārakā-māhātmya context (Dvārakā sacred geography).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Undertaking a jāgaraṇa (religious night-vigil) whose merit is dedicated to Hari and benefits the pitṛs.