Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 77

Devanagari script

करोति च कुरुश्रेष्ठ न स याति यमालयम् । यमलोकभयाद्भीता ये लोकाः पाण्डुनन्दन

Transliteration

karoti ca kuruśreṣṭha na sa yāti yamālayam | yamalokabhayādbhītā ye lokāḥ pāṇḍunandana

Translation

ഹേ കുരുശ്രേഷ്ഠാ, ഇവ ആചരിക്കുന്നവൻ യമാലയത്തിലേക്ക് പോകുകയില്ല. ഹേ പാണ്ഡുനന്ദനാ, യമലോകഭയത്തിൽ വിറയ്ക്കുന്ന ആ ലോകങ്ങൾ—

Word by Word

• करोति: does (performs)
• करोति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present/वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन — 3rd person singular; परस्मैपद

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय — conjunction

• कुरुश्रेष्ठ: O best of the Kurus
• कुरुश्रेष्ठ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुरु (प्रातिपदिक) + श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन — vocative singular; समासः: कुरुषु श्रेष्ठः

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय — negation

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन — pronoun nominative singular

• याति: goes
• याति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present/वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन — 3rd person singular; परस्मैपद

• यमालयम्: the abode of Yama
• यमालयम्: Karma (Goal/Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यम (प्रातिपदिक) + आलय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — accusative singular; समासः: यमस्य आलयः

• यमलोकभयात्: from fear of Yama’s world
• यमलोकभयात्: Apadana (Source/Cause/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यम (प्रातिपदिक) + लोक (प्रातिपदिक) + भय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन — ablative singular; समासः: यमलोकस्य भयम्

• भीताः: afraid
• भीताः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भीत (कृदन्त; भी धातु, क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन — nominative plural; विशेषणम्

• ये: which/who
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन — relative pronoun nominative plural

• लोकाः: worlds/realms
• लोकाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन — nominative plural

• पाण्डुनन्दन: O son of Pāṇḍu
• पाण्डुनन्दन: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाण्डु (प्रातिपदिक) + नन्दन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), एकवचन — vocative singular; समासः: पाण्डोः नन्दनः

Speaker

Narrator of the Revā Khaṇḍa (deduced, addressing Arjuna as Kuruśreṣṭha/Pāṇḍunandana)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā/Narmadā Ekādaśī-vrata context (implied)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Kuruśreṣṭha / Pāṇḍunandana (Arjuna)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee stands firm with folded hands; behind him, the shadowy gates of Yamaloka recede, while luminous pathways open toward Viṣṇu’s realm—symbolizing the vow’s power to avert Yama.

Characters & Entities

• Yama
• Yamālaya
• Pāṇḍunandana (Arjuna)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic vrata-dharma is presented as transformative enough to remove the dread of post-mortem judgment and Yama’s realm.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Narmadā tīrtha setting of Adhyāya 90, centered on Cakratīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It refers back to the listed disciplines—fasting, regulated eating, charity, and feeding Brahmins.