Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 59

Devanagari script

वधबंधकृतच्छेदभेददण्डविकर्ष णम् । कुर्वन्न कुरुते सौम्यं रूपं वैवस्वतो यमः

Transliteration

vadhabaṃdhakṛtacchedabhedadaṇḍavikarṣa ṇam | kurvanna kurute saumyaṃ rūpaṃ vaivasvato yamaḥ

Translation

Même lorsqu’il accomplit meurtre, ligotage, coupe, fente, châtiment et entraînement, Yama Vaivasvata ne prend pas une forme douce, ô homme de bien.

Word by Word

• वध-बन्ध-कृत-च्छेद-भेद-दण्ड-विकर्षणम्: killing, binding, cutting, splitting, punishing, dragging (acts collectively)
• वध-बन्ध-कृत-च्छेद-भेद-दण्ड-विकर्षणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वध (प्रातिपदिक) + बन्ध (प्रातिपदिक) + कृत (कृ धातु + क्त, कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक) + छेद (प्रातिपदिक) + भेद (प्रातिपदिक) + दण्ड (प्रातिपदिक) + विकर्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समाहार-द्वन्द्व/बहुपद-समास (वधादीनां समाहारः), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• कुर्वन्: doing/performing
• कुर्वन्: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) + शतृ (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमान-कृदन्त (present active participle/शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय

• कुरुते: makes/does
• कुरुते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• सौम्यम्: gentle/pleasant
• सौम्यम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सौम्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण

• रूपम्: form/appearance
• रूपम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• वैवस्वतः: Vaivasvata (son of Vivasvat)
• वैवस्वतः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विवस्वत् (प्रातिपदिक) + अण् (तद्धित) → वैवस्वत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तद्धित-सम्बन्धवाचक (patronymic: ‘son of Vivasvat’)

• यमः: Yama
• यमः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Prabhāsa-khaṇḍa māhātmya narration style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Yama, dark-hued and stern, executes binding, cutting, splitting, punishment, and dragging—his visage unsoftened; the verse stresses the unrelenting machinery of karmic justice.

Characters & Entities

• Yama (Vaivasvata)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine justice is impartial and awe-inspiring; one should pursue dharma and merit rather than rely on sentiment to escape consequences.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Vastrāpatha-kṣetra within the Prabhāsa sacred region, presented in its māhātmya context.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual is prescribed in this verse; it sets a dharmic tone about Yama and moral accountability.