Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 54

Devanagari script

एकोनविंशतिश्चायं प्रख्यातः कूटशाल्मलिः । सुतीक्ष्णकंटकाकीर्णः समंताद्द्विजसत्तम ।ा

Transliteration

ekonaviṃśatiścāyaṃ prakhyātaḥ kūṭaśālmaliḥ | sutīkṣṇakaṃṭakākīrṇaḥ samaṃtāddvijasattama |ा

Translation

ഹേ ദ്വിജസത്തമാ! ഇത് പത്തൊമ്പതാമത്തെ നരകം; ‘കൂടശാല്മലി’ എന്നു പ്രസിദ്ധം; ചുറ്റുമെങ്ങും അതിതീക്ഷ്ണ മുള്ളുകളാൽ നിറഞ്ഞത്।

Word by Word

• एकोनविंशतिः: nineteen (the nineteenth)
• एकोनविंशतिः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक) + ऊन (प्रातिपदिक) + विंशति (संख्याप्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; संख्या-समास (एकोनविंशति = 19)

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

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

• प्रख्यातः: well-known
• प्रख्यातः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र-ख्यā (धातु) → प्रख्यात (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• कूटशाल्मलिः: (the hell) Kūṭaśālmali
• कूटशाल्मलिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कूट (प्रातिपदिक) + शाल्मलि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय (कूटः शाल्मलिः = 'false/deceptive śālmali tree' / name)

• सुतीक्ष्णकण्टकाकीर्णः: strewn with very sharp thorns
• सुतीक्ष्णकण्टकाकीर्णः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + तीक्ष्ण (प्रातिपदिक) + कण्टक (प्रातिपदिक) + आकीर्ण (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तृतीया-तत्पुरुष (तीक्ष्णकण्टकैः आकीर्णः = strewn with sharp thorns)

• समन्तात्: on all sides
• समन्तात्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: समन्तात् (अव्यय)
• Form: देश/परिमाणवाचक अव्यय (adverb: on all sides)

• द्विजसत्तम: O best of brahmins
• द्विजसत्तम: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक) + सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (द्विजानां सत्तमः = best of brahmins)

Speaker

Yama

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kūṭaśālmali

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dvija (द्विजसत्तम)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A vast wasteland of black-red soil where a monstrous śālmali-like tree and dense thorn thickets encircle the condemned; bodies are scratched and entangled, with Yama’s attendants driving them through the brambles.

Characters & Entities

• Yama
• Kūṭaśālmali

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Adharma leads to painful consequences; the Purāṇa uses vivid imagery to encourage ethical restraint and dharmic living.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; it occurs within the Tīrthamāhātmya context where dharma and its results are being explained.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it is a descriptive passage about a naraka.