Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 80

Devanagari script

निवेदयंति ते यामाः कालराजांतिके ततः । कालराजोपि तान्द्रष्ट्वा कर्मसंस्मार्य दुष्कृतम्

Transliteration

nivedayaṃti te yāmāḥ kālarājāṃtike tataḥ | kālarājopi tāndraṣṭvā karmasaṃsmārya duṣkṛtam

Translation

അപ്പോൾ യാമദൂതന്മാർ അവരെ കാലരാജൻ യമന്റെ സന്നിധിയിൽ അറിയിക്കുന്നു; കാലരാജനും അവരെ കണ്ടു അവരുടെ കർമ്മങ്ങളെ, പ്രത്യേകിച്ച് ദുഷ്കർമ്മങ്ങളെ, സ്മരിക്കുന്നു।

Word by Word

• निवेदयन्ति: they report/announce
• निवेदयन्ति: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √विद् (धातु) + नि (उपसर्ग)
• Form: लट्-लकारः, परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, बहुवचनम्; causative/denominative sense ‘inform/announce’

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा-बहुवचनम्; pronoun (subject)

• यामाः: Yāmas (guards/attendants of Yama)
• यामाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: याम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा-बहुवचनम्; nominative plural

• कालराज-अन्तिके: in the presence of Kālarāja (Yama)
• कालराज-अन्तिके: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कालराज (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्तिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सप्तमी-एकवचनम्, नपुंसकलिङ्गे (अन्तिक-शब्दः); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः ‘कालराजस्य अन्तिके’; locative singular

• ततः: then
• ततः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; temporal adverb

• कालराजः: Kālarāja (Yama)
• कालराजः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कालराज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा-एकवचनम्; nominative singular

• अपि: also, even
• अपि: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; निपातः (particle)

• तान्: them
• तान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया-बहुवचनम्; accusative plural

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (अव्ययकृदन्तम्); absolutive/gerund ‘having seen’

• कर्म-संस्मार्य: having recalled (their) actions
• कर्म-संस्मार्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + संस्मार्य (कृदन्त; √स्मृ धातु + सम्)
• Form: कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-समासः (कर्म + संस्मार्य ‘deeds-remembering’); क्त्वान्त-समकक्षः ल्यप्/क्त्वा-भावः—अव्ययकृदन्तम् ‘having recalled (their) deeds’

• दुष्कृतम्: evil deed, wrongdoing
• दुष्कृतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुष्कृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया-एकवचनम्; accusative singular

Speaker

Skanda (deduced for Kāśīkhaṇḍa narration, typically to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra (by contrast with Yama’s realm)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: null

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Yamadūtas (Yāmas) present bound souls before Kālarāja on a dark throne; Yama’s gaze triggers a luminous ‘memory-scroll’ of their deeds, with evil acts highlighted as shadowy vignettes.

Characters & Entities

• Yama (Kālarāja)
• Yāma

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

No one escapes moral accountability; actions are reviewed and bear consequences.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The surrounding chapter context is Kāśī/Avimukta, where Yama’s authority is ultimately shown to be transcended by Śiva’s grace.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it describes the process of reporting and judgment.