Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 29

Devanagari script

श्रीमार्कण्डेय उवाच । आत्मानं वञ्चितं ज्ञात्वा तदा संगृह्य वायसौ । प्रेषयामास तीव्रेण दण्डेन यमसादनम्

Transliteration

śrīmārkaṇḍeya uvāca | ātmānaṃ vañcitaṃ jñātvā tadā saṃgṛhya vāyasau | preṣayāmāsa tīvreṇa daṇḍena yamasādanam

Translation

ശ്രീ മാർക്കണ്ഡേയൻ പറഞ്ഞു—താൻ വഞ്ചിതനായെന്ന് അറിഞ്ഞ്, അവൻ അപ്പോൾ ആ രണ്ടു കാക്കകളെ പിടിച്ചു, കഠിന ശിക്ഷയാൽ യമസദനത്തിലേക്ക് (മരണത്തിലേക്ക്) അയച്ചു.

Word by Word

• श्रीमार्कण्डेयः: Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya
• श्रीमार्कण्डेयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रीमार्कण्डेय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः कर्मधारय (श्रीमान् मार्कण्डेयः)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• आत्मानम्: himself
• आत्मानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• वञ्चितम्: deceived
• वञ्चितम्: Karma-visheshana (Object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वञ्चित (कृदन्त; वञ्च् धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त/PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• ज्ञात्वा: having known
• ज्ञात्वा: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund)

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (then)

• संगृह्य: having seized
• संगृह्य: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्+ग्रह् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund)

• वायसौ: the two crows
• वायसौ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वायस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, द्विवचन

• प्रेषयामास: sent
• प्रेषयामास: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र+इष्/इष् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Periphrastic Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• तीव्रेण: with fierce
• तीव्रेण: Visheshana (Qualifier of instrument)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तीव्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• दण्डेन: by a staff/punishment
• दण्डेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दण्ड (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• यमसादनम्: to Yama's abode
• यमसादनम्: Gati/Karma (Destination as object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यमसादन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (यमस्य सादनम्)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Yudhiṣṭhira

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A dramatic moment: the king, having realized deception, grabs the two crows; the scene is tense, with the crows struggling as the king’s staff/gesture signifies severe punishment and the shadow of Yama’s realm.

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Yama
• Vāyasa (crows)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Daṇḍa (just punishment) is portrayed as a pillar of kṣatriya-dharma when wrongdoing threatens order and truth.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not specified here; the verse is part of the narrative arc within the Revā Khaṇḍa’s sacred landscape.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is an episode of moral and royal action.