Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

यदा स नीयते बद्धो यममार्गेण किंकरैः । तदा नंदा समागत्य स्वं पुत्रमिव पश्यति

Transliteration

yadā sa nīyate baddho yamamārgeṇa kiṃkaraiḥ | tadā naṃdā samāgatya svaṃ putramiva paśyati

Translation

Lorsqu’il est emmené, lié, sur la route de Yama par les serviteurs de la mort—alors Nandā survient et le regarde comme s’il était son propre fils.

Word by Word

• yadā: when
• yadā: Sambandha (Temporal)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yadā (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• nīyate: is led
• nīyate: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √nī (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगः (is led)

• baddhaḥ: bound
• baddhaḥ: Karta (Subject qualifier)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √bandh (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘saḥ’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• yamamārgeṇa: by the path of Yama
• yamamārgeṇa: Adhikarana (Path/Route)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yama (प्रातिपदिक) + mārga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण/मार्ग), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (यमस्य मार्गः)

• kiṃkaraiḥ: by servants (of Yama)
• kiṃkaraiḥ: Karana (Agent in passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kiṃkara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (कर्ता/करण in passive), बहुवचन

• tadā: then
• tadā: Sambandha (Temporal)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tadā (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (then)

• naṃdā: Nandā
• naṃdā: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nandā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (कर्ता), एकवचन; नाम (proper noun)

• samāgatya: having come
• samāgatya: Kriya (पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-ā-√gam (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभावः; उपसर्गौ सम्+आ; अर्थः ‘आगत्य’

• svam: own
• svam: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन; ‘putram’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम् (own)

• putram: son
• putram: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: putra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन

• iva: like/as if
• iva: Sambandha (Comparison)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iva (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमानवाचक अव्यय (particle of comparison)

• paśyati: sees
• paśyati: Kriya (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dṛś (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Skanda Purāṇa māhātmya narration context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A bound soul is dragged along the dark Yama-road by grim attendants; Nandā suddenly appears with maternal tenderness, looking upon him like her own son, halting the terror with compassion.

Characters & Entities

• Yama
• Kiṃkara (Yama’s attendants)
• Nandā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Merit gained through dharmic giving can protect and guide the soul even on the fearful path of Yama.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This afterlife assurance is taught in the Vastrāpatha-kṣetra māhātmya of Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicitly, go-dāna whose merit personifies as Nandā, offering protection at death.