Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

उत सर्वजनाघौघविजयाय कृतोद्यमाः । ब्रूत कारुण्यतो मह्यं यस्माद्यूयमिहागताः

Transliteration

uta sarvajanāghaughavijayāya kṛtodyamāḥ | brūta kāruṇyato mahyaṃ yasmādyūyamihāgatāḥ

Translation

अथवा क्या आप समस्त जनों के पाप-प्रवाह को जीतने के लिए उद्यत होकर आए हैं? करुणावश मुझे बताइए कि आप यहाँ किस कारण आए हैं।

Word by Word

• उत: and/indeed
• उत: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उत (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चय/प्रश्नार्थक-निपातः) / Particle ‘and/indeed’

• सर्वजनाघौघविजयाय: for the conquest of the mass of sins of all people
• सर्वजनाघौघविजयाय: Prayojana/Purpose (प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व + जन + अघौघ + विजय (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th), एकवचन / Masculine, Dative singular; समासः—सर्वजनानाम् अघौघस्य विजयः तस्मै

• कृतोद्यमाः: those who have made effort / are prepared
• कृतोद्यमाः: Karta/Subject (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृत (कृ-धातोः क्त) + उद्यम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन / Masculine, Nominative plural; ‘उद्यमः कृतः येषाम्/यैः’

• ब्रूत: tell (you all)
• ब्रूत: Kriya/Action (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष, बहुवचन / Imperative, 2nd person plural

• कारुण्यतः: out of compassion
• कारुण्यतः: Hetu/Reason (हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कारुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (कारण/हेतु-अर्थे) / Ablatival adverb ‘out of compassion’

• मह्यम्: to me
• मह्यम्: Sampradana/Recipient (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, चतुर्थी (4th), एकवचन / Pronoun, Dative singular

• यस्मात्: because/for which reason
• यस्मात्: Hetu/Reason (हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन, पुं/नपुंसक / Pronoun, Ablative singular

• यूयम्: you (all)
• यूयम्: Karta/Subject (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन / Pronoun, Nominative plural

• इह: here
• इह: Adhikarana/Location (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (देशवाचक) / Adverb of place

• आगताः: have come
• आगताः: Kriya/Action (क्रिया-भाव)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + गम् (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन / Past participle ‘come’, Masculine nominative plural

Speaker

Yamadūta

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śiva-dūtas

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The questioner addresses the Śiva-messengers with an appeal to compassion; behind them, a symbolic ‘flood’ of dark waves labeled as sins recedes before their luminous presence, suggesting pāpa-vijaya for all beings.

Characters & Entities

• Śivadūtas
• Agha (sin)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine compassion can intervene to overcome accumulated sin, especially where Śiva’s grace is operative.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is specified in this verse; it emphasizes the salvific mission of Śiva’s attendants.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the theme is grace overcoming sin rather than a stated rite.