Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 87

Devanagari script

तं च स्माशानिकानाम गणा याम्या भयावहाः । शीतवातातपोपेतं तत्र रक्षंति पापिनम्

Transliteration

taṃ ca smāśānikānāma gaṇā yāmyā bhayāvahāḥ | śītavātātapopetaṃ tatra rakṣaṃti pāpinam

Translation

ໃນທີ່ນັ້ນ ມີກອງຜູ້ຕິດຕາມຄ້າຍພຣະຍະມະ ທີ່ນ່າຢ້ານ ເອີ້ນວ່າ «ສະມາຊານິກາ»; ພວກເຂົາຄຸ້ມກັນຄົນບາບ ຜູ້ຖືກຮຸກຮານດ້ວຍຄວາມໜາວ ລົມ ແລະແດດຮ້ອນແຜດ.

Word by Word

• तम्: him/that one
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म/Accusative), एकवचन — Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• श्माशानिकानाम्: of the cremation-ground beings
• श्माशानिकानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्माशानिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध/Genitive), बहुवचन — Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• गणाः: groups/troops
• गणाः: Kartā (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (कर्ता/Nominative), बहुवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• याम्याः: belonging to Yama (southern)
• याम्याः: Kartā (Subject-qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: याम्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Plural; विशेषणम् (qualifying ‘गणाः’)

• भयावहाः: fear-bringing/terrifying
• भयावहाः: Kartā (Subject-qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भय-आवह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः उपपद-तत्पुरुष (भयं आवहन्ति इति); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Plural; विशेषणम्

• शीतवातातपोपेतम्: endowed with cold, wind, and heat
• शीतवातातपोपेतम्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शीत-वात-आतप-उपेत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः (शीतं च वातश्च आतपश्च—द्वन्द्व-पूर्वपद + उपेत ‘endowed with’); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — Neuter, Accusative, Singular; विशेषणम् (तम्)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• रक्षन्ति: they guard/keep
• रक्षन्ति: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: रक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन — Present indicative, 3rd person plural

• पापिनम्: the sinner
• पापिनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पापिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म/Accusative), एकवचन — Masculine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narrative frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A bleak cremation-ground-like landscape in the otherworld: dark attendants of Yama (smāśānikas) stand guard over a trembling preta, buffeted by cold winds and scorching rays.

Characters & Entities

• Yama
• Smāśānika-gaṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sin leads to fear and hardship after death; the verse warns toward ethical living and timely rites.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is praised; the verse is a moral-cosmological warning within the afterlife narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription; it reinforces the urgency of dharma and the supportive role of śrāddha described nearby.