Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 42

Devanagari script

पुत्र उवाच । एष ब्राह्मणरूपेण समायातो यमः स्वयम् । मामादाय कृपाविष्टो ज्ञात्वा त्वां दुःखसंयुतम्

Transliteration

putra uvāca | eṣa brāhmaṇarūpeṇa samāyāto yamaḥ svayam | māmādāya kṛpāviṣṭo jñātvā tvāṃ duḥkhasaṃyutam

Translation

Putra berkata: “Inilah Yama sendiri yang datang dalam wujud seorang brāhmaṇa. Ia membawaku, tersentuh oleh belas kasih, karena mengetahui engkau diliputi duka.”

Word by Word

• पुत्रः: the son
• पुत्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• एषः: this (one)
• एषः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम (pronoun)

• ब्राह्मणरूपेण: in the form of a brāhmaṇa
• ब्राह्मणरूपेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण + रूप (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (brāhmaṇasya rūpam)

• समायातः: has come/arrived
• समायातः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-या (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृत् (past participle, क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणरूपेण/विधेय (predicate participle)

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

• स्वयम्: himself
• स्वयम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वयम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकार/स्वतन्त्रता-बोधक (emphatic adverb: 'himself')

• माम्: me
• माम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• आदाय: having taken
• आदाय: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आ-दा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund), 'having taken'

• कृपाविष्टः: filled with compassion
• कृपाविष्टः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृपा + आविष्ट (आ-विश् धातु + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (कृपया आविष्टः = 'entered by compassion'); क्त-प्रत्ययान्त विशेषण

• ज्ञात्वा: having known
• ज्ञात्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund), 'having known'

• त्वाम्: you
• त्वाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: मध्यमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• दुःखसंयुतम्: afflicted with sorrow
• दुःखसंयुतम्: Karma (Object complement/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुःख + संयुत (सम्-युज् धातु + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (दुःखेन संयुक्तः); क्त-प्रत्ययान्त विशेषण

Speaker

Son of the brāhmaṇa

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: tāta/pitā (father)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sorrow-stricken parent is consoled as a brāhmaṇa-figure (secretly Yama) arrives; the son explains the divine identity and the compassion behind the act of retrieval.

Characters & Entities

• Yama
• Brāhmaṇa (disguise)
• Compassion (kṛpā)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even the lord of justice (Yama) is portrayed as responsive to compassion and dharma, especially when devotion and sacred context soften suffering.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The immediate verse names no site, but it belongs to the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra glorification in Nāgarakhaṇḍa’s Tīrthamāhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the verse emphasizes kṛpā (compassion) and recognition of Dharmarāja’s presence.