Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 49

Devanagari script

एवं स्थितेषु लोकेषु गतपापामयेषु च । प्रयाताः शून्यतां सर्वे नरका ये यमालये

Transliteration

evaṃ sthiteṣu lokeṣu gatapāpāmayeṣu ca | prayātāḥ śūnyatāṃ sarve narakā ye yamālaye

Translation

ເມື່ອໂລກທັງຫຼາຍຕັ້ງຢູ່ດັ່ງນັ້ນ—ພົ້ນຈາກບາບແລະໂລກະພະຍາດ—ນະລົກທັງປວງໃນອານາເຂດຂອງຍະມະ ກໍກາຍເປັນຄວາມຫວ່າງເປົ່າ.

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक अव्यय (thus)

• स्थितेषु: when (they) were in such a state
• स्थितेषु: Adhikarana (Locative absolute/सति-सप्तमी)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्थित (कृदन्त; √स्था (धातु) + निष्ठा)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), बहुवचन; सति-सप्तमी (locative absolute)

• लोकेषु: in the worlds/among people
• लोकेषु: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), बहुवचन

• गतपापामयेषु: when sin and disease had departed
• गतपापामयेषु: Adhikarana (Locative absolute/सति-सप्तमी)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गत (कृदन्त; √गम् (धातु) + निष्ठा) + पाप (प्रातिपदिक) + आमय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), बहुवचन; बहुव्रीहिः—गतौ पापामयौ यस्य (whose sin and disease have gone); सति-सप्तमी

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (and)

• प्रयाताः: went; departed
• प्रयाताः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रयात (कृदन्त; प्र + √या (धातु) + निष्ठा)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त, विधेयवत् (went/has gone)

• शून्यताम्: to emptiness; to a void state
• शून्यताम्: Gati (Destination/गति)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शून्यता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन

• नरकाः: hells
• नरकाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नरक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन

• ये: which
• ये: Sambandha (Relative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), बहुवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• यमालये: in Yama’s abode
• यमालये: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यमालय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन; यमस्य आलयः (Yama’s abode)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narration within Tīrthamāhātmya; speaker not explicit in the snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A deserted hellscape: empty iron cities, silent rivers of torment, Yama’s court vacant; contrasted with bright purified worlds above; chains lying unused.

Characters & Entities

• Yama

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When dharma and purity prevail through sacred merit, the punitive order (hells) becomes unnecessary—sin’s disappearance empties naraka.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is situated in the Tīrthamāhātmya of Nāgarakhaṇḍa (Adhyāya 95), but this line does not itself name the site.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is stated; the emphasis is on the cosmic consequence of widespread pāpa-kṣaya.