Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 71

Devanagari script

पेषणः शोषणश्चैव कालसूत्रोऽस्थिभञ्जनः । तामिस्रश्चान्धतामिस्रः कृमिपूतिवहस्तथा

Transliteration

peṣaṇaḥ śoṣaṇaścaiva kālasūtro'sthibhañjanaḥ | tāmisraścāndhatāmisraḥ kṛmipūtivahastathā

Translation

Di sana ada (neraka bernama) Peṣaṇa dan Śoṣaṇa; Kālasūtra dan Asthibhañjana; Tāmisra dan Andhatāmisra; serta Kṛmipūtivaha pula.

Word by Word

• peṣaṇaḥ: Peṣaṇa (a hell)
• peṣaṇaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: peṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; नरकविशेषः

• śoṣaṇaḥ: Śoṣaṇa (a hell)
• śoṣaṇaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śoṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; नरकविशेषः

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक अव्यय (and)

• eva: indeed
• eva: Avadhāraṇa (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक अव्यय (also/indeed)

• kāla-sūtraḥ: Kālasūtra (a hell)
• kāla-sūtraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāla (प्रातिपदिक) + sūtra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (thread/line of Time; hell-name)

• asthi-bhañjanaḥ: Asthibhañjana (a hell)
• asthi-bhañjanaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asthi (प्रातिपदिक) + bhañjana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (bone-breaking; hell-name)

• tāmisraḥ: Tāmisra (a hell)
• tāmisraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tāmisra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; नरकविशेषः

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक अव्यय (and)

• andha-tāmisraḥ: Andhatāmisra (a hell)
• andha-tāmisraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: andha (प्रातिपदिक) + tāmisra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय (blind darkness; hell-name)

• kṛmi-pūti-vahaḥ: Kṛmipūtivaha (a hell)
• kṛmi-pūti-vahaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṛmi (प्रातिपदिक) + pūti (प्रातिपदिक) + vaha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (carrying worms and stench; hell-name)

• tathā: and likewise
• tathā: Nipāta (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक अव्यय (thus/so; also)

Speaker

Narrator

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A scroll-like panorama naming multiple hells: crushing mills (Peṣaṇa), desiccation (Śoṣaṇa), binding lines/cords (Kālasūtra), bone-breaking (Asthibhañjana), darkness realms (Tāmisra/Andhatāmisra), and worm-foul currents (Kṛmipūtivaha).

Characters & Entities

• Peṣaṇa
• Śoṣaṇa
• Kālasūtra
• Asthibhañjana
• Tāmisra
• Andhatāmisra
• Kṛmipūtivaha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Naming the narakas functions as moral cartography—reminding listeners that adharma has specific, grave consequences.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not directly; the Revā-kṣetra teaching context implies that tīrtha-grace can protect from these fates.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it is an enumerative catalogue.