Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 30

Devanagari script

न तेषां यमलोकस्य भयं मार्गे प्रजायते । कुंकुमैश्चंदनैश्चैव सुलिप्तं यश्च कारयेत

Transliteration

na teṣāṃ yamalokasya bhayaṃ mārge prajāyate | kuṃkumaiścaṃdanaiścaiva suliptaṃ yaśca kārayeta

Translation

അവർക്കു പരലോകയാത്രാമാർഗത്തിൽ യമലോകഭയം ഉദിക്കുകയില്ല. കൂടാതെ ആരെങ്കിലും (പവിത്രവൃക്ഷത്തെ) കുങ്കുമവും ചന്ദനവുംകൊണ്ട് നന്നായി ലേപിപ്പിക്കുകയാണെങ്കിൽ—

Word by Word

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

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध/Possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (सामान्यतः), षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन

• यमलोकस्य: of Yama’s world
• यमलोकस्य: Shashthi-sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यम + लोक (प्रातिपदिक); components: यम(यम) + लोक(लोक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (यमस्य लोकः)

• भयम्: fear
• भयम्: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• मार्गे: on the path
• मार्गे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मार्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• प्रजायते: arises/is produced
• प्रजायते: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + जन् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद

• कुङ्कुमैः: with saffron
• कुङ्कुमैः: Karana (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुङ्कुम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन

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

• चन्दनैः: with sandalwood (paste)
• चन्दनैः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चन्दन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

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

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphasis)

• सुलिप्तम्: well-smeared/anointed
• सुलिप्तम्: Karma (कर्म/Object implied with कारयेत)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सु + लिप् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (Past passive participle/क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; उपसर्ग ‘सु’ (well)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सम्बन्धक सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अन्वय निपात (connective)

• कारयेत्: should cause to be done / should have (it) done
• कारयेत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) णिजन्त (कारय-)
• Form: विधिलिङ्-लकार (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद; णिजन्त (causative)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; not explicit in snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Aśvattha/Pippala-sevā (tree-tīrtha)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim reverently anoints a venerable Aśvattha (pippala) trunk with red kuṅkuma and pale sandalpaste; lamps and flowers at the root; a subtle, protective aura suggesting freedom from Yama’s fear.

Characters & Entities

• Yamaloka
• Yama
• Kuṅkuma
• Candana
• Aśvattha (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dhārmic devotion grants fearlessness in the face of death and the post-mortem journey, reframing worship as spiritual protection.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The sacred Aśvattha context continues; the ‘tīrtha’ emphasis is on the sanctified tree as a locus of merit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Anointing/smearing the sacred object (here, contextually the Aśvattha) with kuṅkuma and sandalpaste.