Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 42

Devanagari script

इष्ट्वा च विविधैर्यज्ञैः कालधर्ममुपेयिवान् । ततः स गतवान्विप्रा धर्मराजनिवेशनम्

Transliteration

iṣṭvā ca vividhairyajñaiḥ kāladharmamupeyivān | tataḥ sa gatavānviprā dharmarājaniveśanam

Translation

വിവിധ യജ്ഞങ്ങൾ അനുഷ്ഠിച്ച് അദ്ദേഹം കാലധർമ്മത്തെ (നിയതമായ മരണത്തെ) പ്രാപിച്ചു. തുടർന്ന്, ഹേ വിപ്രന്മാരേ, അദ്ദേഹം ധർമ്മരാജൻ യമന്റെ നിവാസത്തിലേക്ക് പോയി.

Word by Word

• इष्ट्वा: having sacrificed/worshipped
• इष्ट्वा: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: यज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive); ‘यज्’ धातोः (इष्ट्वा)

• च: and
• च: Avyaya (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• विविधैः: various
• विविधैः: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विविध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन

• यज्ञैः: by sacrifices
• यज्ञैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन

• कालधर्मम्: the law/inevitability of time (death)
• कालधर्मम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल-धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (कालस्य धर्मः)

• उपेयिवान्: approached/reached
• उपेयिवान्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप-इ (धातु)
• Form: क्तवतु-प्रत्ययान्त (perfect participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्तरि प्रयोगः

• ततः: then/thereafter
• ततः: Avyaya (Adverb/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb), अर्थे ‘तस्मात्/अनन्तरम्’

• स: he
• स: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• गतवान्: went
• गतवान्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्तवतु-प्रत्ययान्त (perfect participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्तरि प्रयोगः

• विप्राः: O brahmins
• विप्राः: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/सम्बोधन), बहुवचन

• धर्मराजनिवेशनम्: the abode of Dharmaraja (Yama)
• धर्मराजनिवेशनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्मराज-निवेशन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (धर्मराजस्य निवेशनम्)

Speaker

Narrator (addressing listeners as ‘viprāḥ’)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brāhmaṇas/Ṛṣis (addressed as ‘viprāḥ’)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A yajña-completing king departs the mortal world and is led to Yama’s austere court—dark-gold halls, dharma scales, attendants, and a calm, resigned king.

Characters & Entities

• Nṛga
• Dharmarāja (Yama)
• yajña
• Kāla (Time)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual merit accompanies a person, yet Time is inevitable and dharma is ultimately assessed by Dharmarāja.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse continues the Dvārakā Māhātmya narrative frame, though it speaks more about karmic destiny than a specific tīrtha act.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Performance of various yajñas (sacrifices) is mentioned generally, without specifying a particular sacrifice or procedure.