Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 52

Devanagari script

यमरूपं वर्ण यंति मर्त्यलोकेऽन्यथा जनाः । अन्यथाऽयं मया दृष्टो ब्रूतं तत्कारणं गणौ

Transliteration

yamarūpaṃ varṇa yaṃti martyaloke'nyathā janāḥ | anyathā'yaṃ mayā dṛṣṭo brūtaṃ tatkāraṇaṃ gaṇau

Translation

മർത്ത്യലോകത്തിൽ ജനങ്ങൾ യമന്റെ രൂപം മറ്റെവിധം വർണ്ണിക്കുന്നു; എന്നാൽ ഞാൻ അവനെ വ്യത്യസ്തമായി കണ്ടു—ഹേ ഗണങ്ങളേ, അതിന്റെ കാരണം പറയുക.

Word by Word

• यमरूपम्: Yama’s form
• यमरूपम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यम-रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (यमस्य रूपम्)

• वर्ण: description, account
• वर्ण: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; ‘वर्णम्’ इत्यर्थे पदच्छेदे लोपः (पाठभेद/लिप्यन्तर)

• यान्ति: go, proceed (to describe/relate)
• यान्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √या (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• मर्त्यलोके: in the mortal world
• मर्त्यलोके: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मर्त्य-लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (मर्त्यानां लोकः)

• अन्यथा: otherwise, differently
• अन्यथा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अन्यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारार्थक-अव्यय (adverb of manner)

• जनाः: people
• जनाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• अन्यथा: differently
• अन्यथा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अन्यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारार्थक-अव्यय (adverb of manner)

• अयम्: this (one)
• अयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• मया: by me
• मया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• दृष्टः: seen
• दृष्टः: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगे ‘seen’

• ब्रूतम्: tell (you two)
• ब्रूतम्: Kriya (Command/आज्ञा)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), द्विवचन; परस्मैपद

• तत्कारणम्: the reason for that
• तत्कारणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तत्-कारण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (तस्य कारणम्)

• गणौ: O two attendants (gaṇas)
• गणौ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), द्विवचन

Speaker

Śivaśarmā (Vipra)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Saṃyamanī / Yama-loka context

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim/observer stands before Yama’s realm, puzzled: the seen form differs from the terrifying form described on earth; he questions two attendants standing nearby.

Characters & Entities

• Śivaśarmā
• Yama
• Gaṇas (two attendants)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Perception of divine powers varies with inner purity; the righteous may behold gentleness where others imagine terror.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The teaching is situated within Kāśīkhaṇḍa’s Kāśī context, using Yama as a doctrinal contrast.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; it is a question prompting explanation about dharma-based vision.