Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

अचीर्णप्रायश्चित्तानां यमलोके ह्यनेकधा । यातनाभिर्वियुक्तानामनेकां जीवसन्ततिम्

Transliteration

acīrṇaprāyaścittānāṃ yamaloke hyanekadhā | yātanābhirviyuktānāmanekāṃ jīvasantatim

Translation

പ്രായശ്ചിത്തം ആചരിക്കാത്തവർ യമലോകത്തിൽ പലവിധ യാതനകൾ അനുഭവിക്കുന്നു; ആ പീഡകളിൽ നിന്ന് മോചിതരായ ശേഷം അവർ അനേകം ജീവസന്തതികളായി—ജന്മജന്മാന്തരധാരകളായി—മുന്നേറുന്നു.

Word by Word

• acīrṇa: not performed
• acīrṇa: —
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ā-car (धातु) + kta (कृत्)
• Form: नञ्-पूर्वक क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; (not performed) प्रातिपदिक-घटक

• prāyaścittānām: of expiations
• prāyaścittānām: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prāyaścitta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन (neuter genitive plural)

• acīrṇaprāyaścittānām: of those who have not done expiation
• acīrṇaprāyaścittānām: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: acīrṇa + prāyaścitta (प्रातिपदिक; अचीर्णप्रायश्चित्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन; कर्मधारय (those whose expiations are unperformed)

• yamaloke: in Yama's world
• yamaloke: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yama + loka (प्रातिपदिक; यमलोक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (world of Yama)

• hi: indeed
• hi: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle; emphasis/indeed)

• anekadhā: in many ways
• anekadhā: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: anekadhā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (indeclinable adverb: 'in many ways')

• yātanābhiḥ: by tortures/punishments
• yātanābhiḥ: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yātanā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन (feminine instrumental plural)

• viyuktānām: of those separated/deprived
• viyuktānām: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vi-yuj (धातु) + kta (कृत्)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन (PPP; masculine genitive plural)

• anekām: many
• anekām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: aneka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (feminine accusative singular)

• jīvasantatim: stream/continuity of lives
• jīvasantatim: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jīva + santati (प्रातिपदिक; जीवसन्तति)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (continuity/series of lives/beings)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pārtha (Arjuna)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A somber vision of Yama-loka: souls undergoing varied punishments, then emerging toward rebirth; a compassionate sage points to the scene as a warning, with a riverbank pilgrimage setting as contrast.

Characters & Entities

• Yama
• Yamaloka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Prāyaścitta is upheld as a dharmic remedy; neglecting it results in Yama’s punishments and prolonged cycles of rebirth.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Prāyaścitta (expiatory observances) is referenced as the neglected duty.