Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 34

Devanagari script

तस्मात्तीर्थं विजानीतं यमस्य सदने द्विजौ । प्रेषयामि यथान्यायं श्रुत्वा तत्कथयिष्यथः

Transliteration

tasmāttīrthaṃ vijānītaṃ yamasya sadane dvijau | preṣayāmi yathānyāyaṃ śrutvā tatkathayiṣyathaḥ

Translation

അതുകൊണ്ട് ഹേ രണ്ടു ദ്വിജന്മാരേ! യമന്റെ സദനത്തിലും ഇതിനെ തീർത്ഥമായി അറിയുക. ന്യായവിധിപൂർവ്വം നിങ്ങളെ അവിടെ അയയ്ക്കുന്നു; കണ്ട ശേഷം നിങ്ങൾ വിവരിക്കും.

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तस्मात्-रूपेण अव्ययीभावप्रायः; अपादानार्थक (ablatival adverb: 'therefore/from that')

• तीर्थम्: the sacred ford/place
• तीर्थम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• विजानीतम्: know (you two) / ascertain
• विजानीतम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि√ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (आज्ञार्थक), मध्यमपुरुष, द्विवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• यमस्य: of Yama
• यमस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), एकवचन

• सदने: in the abode
• सदने: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सदन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन

• द्विजौ: O two twice-born / O two brāhmaṇas
• द्विजौ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/सम्बोधन (1/8), द्विवचन

• प्रेषयामि: I send
• प्रेषयामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र√इष्/प्रेष् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• यथा: according as
• यथा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकार/उपमानवाचक (as/according to)

• न्यायम्: justice / proper rule
• न्यायम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: न्याय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• कथयिष्यथः: you two will tell
• कथयिष्यथः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथय् (णिजन्त; √कथ् धातु)
• Form: लृट् (भविष्यत्काल), मध्यमपुरुष, द्विवचन; परस्मैपदम्

Speaker

Rājā (the king, narrator within the episode)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dharmapura-tīrtha (implied)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The king commissions two brāhmaṇas as envoys to a paradoxical ‘tīrtha in Yama’s abode’; the scene juxtaposes earthly court order with the looming, unseen architecture of Dharmapura.

Characters & Entities

• Yama
• Dharma (as Yama)
• Dvija (Brāhmaṇas)
• Tīrtha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True tīrtha is defined by dharma and divine order—its sanctity can extend even to Yama’s realm when upheld properly.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse points to a tīrtha connected with Yama’s abode within the Revā Khaṇḍa narrative, emphasizing the reach of sacred merit beyond ordinary geography.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Acting “according to rule” (yathā-nyāya) is stressed—proper procedure and authorized transmission/witnessing of the account.