Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 29

Devanagari script

यमदूतैर्महाघोरैर्ब्रह्मवृत्तिविलोपकः । एवंविधैर्महादुष्टैः पीड्यंते ते महागणैः

Transliteration

yamadūtairmahāghorairbrahmavṛttivilopakaḥ | evaṃvidhairmahāduṣṭaiḥ pīḍyaṃte te mahāgaṇaiḥ

Translation

ຜູ້ທຳລາຍການດຳລົງຊີວິດຂອງພຣາມ ຈະຖືກທໍລະມານໂດຍຍົມມະທູດທີ່ໜ້າຢ້ານກົວທີ່ສຸດ ແລະ ໂດຍກອງທັບຜູ້ທໍລະມານທີ່ຊົ່ວຮ້າຍຢ່າງຍິ່ງ.

Word by Word

• यमदूतैः: by Yama’s messengers
• यमदूतैः: Karana (Instrument/agent in passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यमदूत (यम + दूत) (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, तृतीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; Masculine, Instrumental plural

• महाघोरैः: very terrible
• महाघोरैः: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महाघोर (महा + घोर) (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, तृतीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; Masculine, Instrumental plural (agreeing with यमदूतैः)

• ब्रह्मवृत्तिविलोपकः: one who destroys brahminical conduct/duty
• ब्रह्मवृत्तिविलोपकः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मवृत्ति-विलोपक (ब्रह्म + वृत्ति + विलोपक) (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; Masculine, Nominative singular

• एवंविधैः: of such a kind
• एवंविधैः: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एवंविध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, तृतीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; Masculine, Instrumental plural (agreeing with महादुष्टैः)

• महादुष्टैः: by very wicked (ones)
• महादुष्टैः: Karana (Instrument/agent in passive)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महादुष्ट (महा + दुष्ट) (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, तृतीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; Masculine, Instrumental plural

• पीड्यन्ते: are tormented
• पीड्यन्ते: Kriya (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पीड् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः (वर्तमान), कर्मणि प्रयोगः, प्रथमपुरुषः, बहुवचनम्; Present indicative, Passive, 3rd person plural

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; Pronoun, Nominative plural, Masculine

• महागणैः: by great groups (of them)
• महागणैः: Karana (Instrument/agent in passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महागण (महा + गण) (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, तृतीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; Masculine, Instrumental plural

Speaker

Brahmā (to Nārada, inferred)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Terribly fearsome yamadūtas—dark-bodied, red-eyed, armed with nooses and clubs—torment the offender who destroyed a brāhmaṇa’s livelihood; they appear as a vast host of tormentors surrounding the trembling soul.

Characters & Entities

• Yama
• Yamadūtas
• Brāhmaṇa (brahma-vṛtti)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

To harm a Brāhmaṇa’s rightful sustenance—often tied to grants and dāna—is a severe sin attracting Yama’s punishment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is identified; the verse focuses on dharma-protection and cosmic justice.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the dharmic duty implied is to safeguard righteous endowments and livelihoods.