Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 19
Devanagari script
कीर्तयिष्यामि तेषां ते प्राधान्येन द्विजोत्तम । एकविंशतिसंख्या ये पापिलोककृते कृताः
Transliteration
kīrtayiṣyāmi teṣāṃ te prādhānyena dvijottama | ekaviṃśatisaṃkhyā ye pāpilokakṛte kṛtāḥ
Translation
ഹേ ദ്വിജോത്തമാ! അവയിൽ പ്രധാനപ്പെട്ടവയെ ഞാൻ നിനക്കു വിവരിക്കും—പാപികളുടെ ലോകത്തിനായി സ്ഥാപിതമായവ, എണ്ണം ഇരുപത്തൊന്ന്.
Word by Word
कीर्तयिष्यामिI will recount
कीर्तयिष्यामि:
Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootकीर्तय् (धातु; कीर्त् causative)
Formलृट्-लकार (Simple Future), उत्तम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद
तेषाम्of them
तेषाम्:
Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
TypeNoun
Rootतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसक-प्रयोग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), बहुवचन
तेto you
ते:
Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
TypeNoun
Rootयुष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formसर्वनाम; चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (4th/Dative), एकवचन (enclitic form)
प्राधान्येनby priority, chiefly
प्राधान्येन:
Kriya-visheshana (Manner/क्रियाविशेषण)
TypeNoun
Rootprādhānya (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; हेतौ/प्रकारे (as per priority)
द्विजोत्तमO best of brāhmaṇas
द्विजोत्तम:
Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
TypeNoun
Rootdvija-uttama (प्रातिपदिक)
Formतत्पुरुष-समास (द्विजानाम् उत्तमः); पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन
एकविंशतिसंख्याःnumbering twenty-one
एकविंशतिसंख्याः:
Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootekaviṃśati-saṃkhyā (प्रातिपदिक)
Formद्विगु-समास (एकविंशतिः संख्या येषाम्); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifying implied ‘नरकाः’)
येwhich
ये:
Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootयद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सम्बन्धक
पापिलोककृतेfor the sinful world/for sinners
पापिलोककृते:
Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
TypeAdjective
Rootpāpi-loka-kṛta (प्रातिपदिक)
Formतत्पुरुष-समास (पापिनां लोकः → पापिलोक; तस्मै कृते = for the sinful world/people); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी/चतुर्थी-सम्भाव्य, एकवचन; अत्र ‘कृते’ = ‘for the sake of’ (postpositional use)
कृताःmade, established
कृताः:
Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootकृ (धातु) + क्त (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
Formक्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन
Speaker
Yama (Dharmarāja)
Tirtha Mahatmya
Type: kshetra
Skanda Dialogue
Listener: Brāhmaṇa
Visual Art Cues
Scene: Yama begins a formal teaching: a scroll or symbolic ‘register’ of twenty-one principal hells; attendants stand with ledgers; the brāhmaṇa listens like a student receiving a structured syllabus.
Characters & Entities
Y
YamaN
NarakaD
Dvija (brāhmaṇa)FAQs
Scripture teaches consequences in a structured way to deter sin and encourage dharmic conduct.
No site is named in this verse; it introduces a doctrinal list.
None; it announces an upcoming enumeration of narakas.