Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 33

Devanagari script

नरकान्पालयामासुः स्वभृत्यैश्चोपपातकैः । रुद्राध्याये भुवि प्राप्ते साक्षात्कैवल्यसाधने

Transliteration

narakānpālayāmāsuḥ svabhṛtyaiścopapātakaiḥ | rudrādhyāye bhuvi prāpte sākṣātkaivalyasādhane

Translation

ພວກເຂົາໄດ້ເຝົ້າຮັກສານະລົກທັງຫຼາຍ ພ້ອມດ້ວຍບໍລິວານຂອງຕົນ ຄື ອຸປະປາຕະກະ (ບາບຍ່ອຍ) ແຕ່ເມື່ອ ‘ຣຸທຣາທະຍາຍະ’ ອັນເປັນທາງຕົງສູ່ ໄກວັນຍະ (ຄວາມຫຼຸດພົ້ນ) ແຜ່ຫຼາຍໃນໂລກ…

Word by Word

• नरकान्: hells/hell-realms
• नरकान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नरक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

• पालयामासुः: they guarded/ruled
• पालयामासुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पाल् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन; (परिप्रयोगे) ‘पालयामास’ इति परिप्रश्न-रूपः

• स्वभृत्यैः: with their own servants
• स्वभृत्यैः: Sahakari (Associate/सहकारी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व-भृत्य (प्रातिपदिक; स्व + भृत्य)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; कर्मधारयः (स्वाः भृत्याः)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• उपपातकैः: with minor sins (personified)/subsidiary offenders
• उपपातकैः: Sahakari (Associate/सहकारी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उप-पातक (प्रातिपदिक; उप + पातक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; उपसर्गपूर्वक-तत्पुरुष (minor sins)

• रुद्राध्याये: in the Rudra-chapter
• रुद्राध्याये: Adhikarana (Location/Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुद्र-अध्याय (प्रातिपदिक; रुद्र + अध्याय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (रुद्रस्य अध्यायः)

• भुवि: on earth
• भुवि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भू (प्रातिपदिक; स्त्रीलिङ्ग ‘भू’ = पृथ्वी)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• प्राप्ते: when (it) had come/occurred
• प्राप्ते: Kriya (Circumstantial/सति-सप्तमी)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-आप् (धातु) → प्राप्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past participle) सप्तमी-एकवचन, पुंलिङ्ग; सति-सप्तमी (when/after ... had come)

• साक्षात्कैवल्यसाधने: in (that) direct means to liberation
• साक्षात्कैवल्यसाधने: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: साक्षात्-कैवल्य-साधन (प्रातिपदिक; साक्षात् + कैवल्य + साधन)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; अव्ययपूर्वपद-तत्पुरुषः (साक्षात् + ...)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narrator; exact speaker not explicit in the snippet)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A dramatic contrast: in Naraka, sin-guards patrol; on earth, sages chant the Rudrādhyāya around a Śiva-liṅga, light radiating outward; the sin-leaders recoil as the chant spreads like a luminous wave.

Characters & Entities

• Naraka
• Rudrādhyāya
• Kaivalya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Rudra-recitation is portrayed as so purifying and liberating that even the forces governing punishment are shaken by its presence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No particular tīrtha is named; the verse glorifies the sacred practice of Rudrādhyāya/Rudra-japa itself.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Rudrādhyāya (Rudra-japa/recitation) is implied as the practice, praised as a direct means toward kaivalya.