Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

मृतांस्तान्करपत्रेण यमदूता महाबलाः । निकृंतंति यथा काष्ठं सूत्रमार्गेण शिल्पिनः

Transliteration

mṛtāṃstānkarapatreṇa yamadūtā mahābalāḥ | nikṛṃtaṃti yathā kāṣṭhaṃ sūtramārgeṇa śilpinaḥ

Translation

ಅವರು ಸತ್ತ ಬಳಿಕ ಮಹಾಬಲಿಷ್ಠ ಯಮದೂತರು ‘ಕರಪತ್ರ’ ಎಂಬ ತೀಕ್ಷ್ಣ ಫಲಕಗಳಿಂದ ಅವರನ್ನು ಕತ್ತರಿಸುತ್ತಾರೆ; ಶಿಲ್ಪಿಗಳು ಸೂತ್ರರೇಖೆಯಂತೆ ಮರವನ್ನು ಕತ್ತರಿಸುವಂತೆ।

Word by Word

• मृतान्: dead (persons)
• मृतान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मृत (कृदन्त; मृ धातु + क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle: 'dead')

• तान्: those
• तान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सर्वनाम (accusative plural: 'those')

• करपत्रेण: with a hand-saw/razor-like weapon
• करपत्रेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर (प्रातिपदिक) + पत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (करस्य पत्रम् = hand-leaf; i.e., saw-like weapon); करण (instrumental)

• यमदूताः: messengers of Yama
• यमदूताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यम (प्रातिपदिक) + दूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (यमस्य दूताः)

• महाबलाः: very strong
• महाबलाः: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा (अव्यय/उपसर्गवत्) + बल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; कर्मधारयः (महद् बलं येषाम्/महाबलाः = very strong)

• निकृन्तन्ति: cut to pieces
• निकृन्तन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि + कृन्त् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन (present indicative, 3rd plural)

• यथा: as
• यथा: Upamana (Comparison)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमान-अव्यय (comparative: 'as')

• काष्ठम्: wood
• काष्ठम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (neuter, accusative singular)

• सूत्रमार्गेण: along a guideline/marked line
• सूत्रमार्गेण: Karana/Prakara (Instrument/Method)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूत्र (प्रातिपदिक) + मार्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (सूत्रस्य मार्गः = line/guide-line); करण/प्रकार (instrumental of method)

• शिल्पिनः: craftsmen, artisans
• शिल्पिनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिल्पिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (masculine, nominative plural)

Speaker

Śiva

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrimage-inquirer (generic)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A stark infernal workshop-like scene: powerful Yamadūtas wielding karapatra blades, cutting the deceased as if timber; a ‘measuring line’ motif (sūtra-mārga) appears like a chalk line across wood, emphasizing exact karmic accounting.

Characters & Entities

• Yama
• Yamadūta
• Karapatra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Cruelty toward the sacred leads to terrifying post-mortem consequences; dharma is protection from such suffering.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa Kṣetra, where the Māhātmya frames right conduct as integral to pilgrimage merit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct rite; it reinforces the prior prohibitions by describing the karmic result of violence and abuse.