Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 55

Devanagari script

यमदूताः पलायंते तामालोक्य पतिव्रताम् । तपनस्तप्यते नूनं दहनोपि च दह्यते

Transliteration

yamadūtāḥ palāyaṃte tāmālokya pativratām | tapanastapyate nūnaṃ dahanopi ca dahyate

Translation

ആ പതിവ്രതയെ കണ്ടയുടൻ യമദൂതന്മാർ ഓടിപ്പോകുന്നു; തീർച്ചയായും സൂര്യൻ പോലും ചൂടേറ്റ് തപിക്കുന്നു, അഗ്നിയും ദഹിക്കുന്നതുപോലെ തോന്നുന്നു।

Word by Word

• यमदूताः: Yama's messengers
• यमदूताः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यम + दूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (यमस्य दूताः)

• पलायन्ते: flee away
• पलायन्ते: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पलाय् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; आत्मनेपद

• ताम्: her
• ताम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• आलोक्य: having seen
• आलोक्य: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकाल-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + √लोक् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्यय; पूर्वक्रिया (having seen)

• पतिव्रताम्: the devoted wife
• पतिव्रताम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पति + व्रता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; कर्मधारय/षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष-प्रायः (पतिं प्रति व्रता/पतिव्रता = devoted to husband)

• तपनः: the Sun (the burner)
• तपनः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• तप्यते: is scorched/tormented
• तप्यते: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √तप् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोगः (is heated/tormented)

• नूनम्: surely
• नूनम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नूनम् (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक-अव्यय (particle of certainty: 'surely')

• दहनः: fire
• दहनः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दहन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपि-कार-अव्यय (also/even)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction: 'and')

• दह्यते: is burned
• दह्यते: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √दह् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोगः (is burned)

Speaker

Deductively: Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating within Brāhma Khaṇḍa context

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Yamadūtas flee at the sight of a pativratā whose radiance is so intense that even Sūrya and Agni are said to feel ‘burned’—a hyperbolic image of spiritual brilliance.

Characters & Entities

• Yamadūtas
• Yama
• Sūrya (Tapana)
• Agni (Dahana)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It uses hyperbolic imagery to assert that dharmic fidelity generates overpowering spiritual ‘tejas’.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is named in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a eulogy of pativratā power.