Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 28

Devanagari script

तच्छ्रुत्वा निष्ठुरं वाक्यं यमस्य मुखनिर्गतम् । महाभयसमोपेतो ब्राह्मणः प्रपलायितः

Transliteration

tacchrutvā niṣṭhuraṃ vākyaṃ yamasya mukhanirgatam | mahābhayasamopeto brāhmaṇaḥ prapalāyitaḥ

Translation

ヤマの口から放たれた苛烈な言葉を聞くや、婆羅門は大いなる恐怖に包まれ、逃げ去った。

Word by Word

• tat: that (it)
• tat: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (pronoun)

• śrutvā: having heard
• śrutvā: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: śru (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having heard)

• niṣṭhuram: harsh
• niṣṭhuram: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: niṣṭhura (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifier)

• vākyam: speech; statement
• vākyam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vākya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• yamasya: of Yama
• yamasya: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन

• mukha-nirgatam: issued from (his) mouth
• mukha-nirgatam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mukha (प्रातिपदिक) + nirgata (√gam धातु, नि-उपसर्ग, क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त विशेषण; तत्पुरुष समास (मुखात् निर्गतम्)

• mahā-bhaya-samopetaḥ: overcome with great fear
• mahā-bhaya-samopetaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + bhaya (प्रातिपदिक) + samupeta (√i धातु, सम्+उप-उपसर्ग, क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त विशेषण; तत्पुरुष समास (महाभयेन समुपेतः)

• brāhmaṇaḥ: the Brahmin
• brāhmaṇaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brāhmaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• prapalāyitaḥ: fled away
• prapalāyitaḥ: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra+palāy (धातु) + क्त (क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृदन्त (past participle) — ‘fled/ran away’ (finite sense)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narration; speaker not explicit in this verse)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) tīrtha milieu

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Bhārata (addressed later in the passage; likely Janamejaya/assembly frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A terrified brāhmaṇa recoils at Yama’s harsh pronouncement; Yama’s stern visage and dark attendants loom as the brāhmaṇa turns to flee.

Characters & Entities

• Yama
• Brāhmaṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Human fear before death becomes the turning point that drives the seeker toward divine refuge.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The story forms part of the Kohanasve Tīrtha Māhātmya within Revā Khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual here; it narrates the crisis that leads to seeking Śiva’s protection.