Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 40

Devanagari script

सशरीरो महादेवि यमादेशपरायणैः । स चित्रगुप्तनामाऽभूद्विश्वचारित्रलेखकः

Transliteration

saśarīro mahādevi yamādeśaparāyaṇaiḥ | sa citraguptanāmā'bhūdviśvacāritralekhakaḥ

Translation

ഹേ മഹാദേവി, യമാദേശത്തിന് പരായണരായ ദൂതന്മാർ അവനെ ശരീരസഹിതം കൊണ്ടുപോയി; പിന്നെ അവൻ ‘ചിത്രഗുപ്തൻ’ എന്ന പേരിൽ ലോകചരിത്രം രേഖപ്പെടുത്തുന്ന ലേഖകനായി.

Word by Word

• सशरीरः: with (his) body
• सशरीरः: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स + शरीर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (शरीरेण सह)

• महादेवि: O great goddess
• महादेवि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महादेवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन (fem., vocative singular)

• यमादेशपरायणैः: by those devoted to Yama’s command
• यमादेशपरायणैः: Karana (Agent-instrument in passive/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यम + आदेश + परायण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (यमस्य आदेशः) + तत्पुरुषः (आदेशे परायणः)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (masc., nominative singular)

• चित्रगुप्तनामा: named ‘Citragupta’
• चित्रगुप्तनामा: Karta (Subject-complement/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चित्रगुप्त + नामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; बहुव्रीह्यर्थे नामधारकः—‘चित्रगुप्त’ इति नाम यस्य (नाम-समास/तत्पुरुष-प्रयोग)

• अभूत्: became
• अभूत्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लुङ् (अद्यतनभूत/aorist), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद (became)

• विश्वचारित्रलेखकः: writer/recorder of the deeds of the world
• विश्वचारित्रलेखकः: Karta (Subject-apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विश्व + चारित्र + लेखक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (विश्वस्य चारित्रम्) + तत्पुरुषः (चारित्रस्य लेखकः)

Speaker

Unspecified in excerpt (within Prabhāsakṣetra Māhātmya narration; traditionally Sūta narrating to sages)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Agnitīrtha (narrative trigger)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī/Umā (Mahādevī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Yama’s attendants carry Citra bodily; in the next tableau he is installed as Citragupta, seated with stylus and palm-leaf ledger, surrounded by symbols of judgment and order.

Characters & Entities

• Mahādevī
• Yama
• Citragupta

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Divine justice is structured: actions are recorded and judged; dharma is upheld through cosmic order.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The episode is situated in Prabhāsakṣetra (Prabhāsa), where the narrative of Citragupta/Citrāditya is praised.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual is prescribed here; the verse explains a doctrinal role—Citragupta as karmic scribe.