Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 11

Devanagari script

सहित्वा यातनां सर्वां गत्वा वैवस्वतक्षयम् । विस्तीर्णयातना ये तु लोकमायान्ति चिह्निताः

Transliteration

sahitvā yātanāṃ sarvāṃ gatvā vaivasvatakṣayam | vistīrṇayātanā ye tu lokamāyānti cihnitāḥ

Translation

എല്ലാ യാതനകളും സഹിച്ച് വൈവസ്വതൻ (യമൻ) വസതിയിലെത്തി, ദീർഘശിക്ഷകൾ അനുഭവിച്ചവർ ചിഹ്നിതരായി വീണ്ടും ലോകത്തിലേക്ക് മടങ്ങിവരും.

Word by Word

• सहित्वा: having endured
• सहित्वा: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सह् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); धातु: सह् (to endure)

• यातनाम्: torment/punishment
• यातनाम्: Karma (Object of सहित्वा/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यातना (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• सर्वाम्: all/entire
• सर्वाम्: Karma-viśeṣaṇa (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (यातनाम्)

• गत्वा: having gone
• गत्वा: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund)

• वैवस्वतक्षयम्: the abode/realm of Vaivasvata (Yama)
• वैवस्वतक्षयम्: Karma (Goal as object with गत्वा/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैवस्वतक्षय (प्रातिपदिक) = वैवस्वत (प्रातिपदिक) + क्षय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (वैवस्वतस्य क्षयः)

• विस्तीर्णयातनाः: those with extensive punishments
• विस्तीर्णयातनाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विस्तीर्णयातना (प्रातिपदिक) = विस्तीर्ण (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक) + यातना (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; समासः कर्मधारयः (विस्तीर्णा यातना येषाम्)

• ये: who
• ये: Karta (Relative subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सम्बन्ध-सर्वनाम

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Sambandha-bodhaka (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle)

• लोकम्: the world
• लोकम्: Karma (Destination/object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन

• आयान्ति: come/return
• आयान्ति: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लट् लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद; उपसर्गः आ

• चिह्निताः: marked/identified
• चिह्निताः: Karta-viśeṣaṇa (Subject qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चिह्नित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक) < चिह्न्/चिह्नय् (धातु)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (ये)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vaivasvata-kṣaya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: nṛpa (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A visionary glimpse of Yama’s abode: a stern yet orderly court, souls led after punishments, returning toward the human world with visible marks; the teacher narrates this to the king.

Characters & Entities

• Vaivasvata
• Yama

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Suffering in Yama’s realm is not the end; karmic residues still shape the next human birth as recognizable ‘marks’.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None; this verse focuses on Yama’s domain and karmic consequences rather than a geographical tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; it implicitly supports undertaking prāyaścitta and tīrtha practices to avoid such outcomes.