Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 31

Devanagari script

एतानाहूय चांडालान्यमः पातकनायकान् । नरकस्य विवृद्ध्यर्थमाधिपत्यं चकार ह

Transliteration

etānāhūya cāṃḍālānyamaḥ pātakanāyakān | narakasya vivṛddhyarthamādhipatyaṃ cakāra ha

Translation

ആ ചാണ്ഡാലരെ വിളിച്ചു യമൻ അവരെ ‘പാതകനായകർ’ ആയി നിയമിച്ചു; നരകത്തിന്റെ വിപുലീകരണത്തിനും ഭരണത്തിനും അധികാരം നൽകി।

Word by Word

• एतान्: these (persons)
• एतान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• आहूय: having summoned/called
• आहूय: Kriya (Gerundial action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-ह्वे (धातु) → आहूय (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund/absolutive), पूर्वकाल (having summoned)

• चाण्डालान्: Caṇḍālas/outcastes
• चाण्डालान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चाण्डाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

• यमः: Yama
• यमः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• पातकनायकान्: leaders of sins
• पातकनायकान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पातक-नायक (प्रातिपदिक; पातक + नायक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (पातकानां नायकाः)

• नरकस्य: of hell
• नरकस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नरक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• विवृद्धि-अर्थम्: for the increase (of it)
• विवृद्धि-अर्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विवृद्धि-अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक; विवृद्धि + अर्थ)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; प्रयोजनार्थे द्वितीया (for the purpose of); षष्ठी/कर्मधारय-भावार्थक समासः (विवृद्ध्यर्थम् = विवृद्धेः अर्थम्)

• आधिपत्यम्: lordship/authority
• आधिपत्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आधिपत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• चकार: made/appointed
• चकार: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• ह: indeed (expletive)
• ह: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ह (अव्यय)
• Form: पादपूरण/निपात (expletive particle)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narrator; exact speaker not explicit in the snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Naraka (Yamaloka)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Yama enthroned with danda (staff) and pāśa (noose), summoning grim outcaste-like figures as personified sins; a bureaucratic court of Naraka with ledgers, gates, and smoky horizons.

Characters & Entities

• Yama
• Naraka (hell)
• Pātakanāyaka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Actions opposed to dharma generate structured consequences; Purāṇas depict moral order through Yama’s governance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific location is praised here; the verse describes cosmic administration of punishment.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it provides narrative background for the later emphasis on Rudra-recitation’s power.