Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 25

Devanagari script

अस्मदीये धरापृष्ठे यमो मारयते जनम् । नैवं स्वर्गे न पाताले पश्याहो कार्यकारणम्

Transliteration

asmadīye dharāpṛṣṭhe yamo mārayate janam | naivaṃ svarge na pātāle paśyāho kāryakāraṇam

Translation

നമ്മുടെ ഈ ധരാപൃഷ്ഠത്തിൽ യമൻ ജനങ്ങളെ സംഹരിക്കുന്നു; സ്വർഗ്ഗത്തിലും അല്ല, പാതാളത്തിലും അല്ല—അഹോ, കാര്യം-കാരണം എന്നതിന്റെ അത്ഭുതവിധാനം കാണുക!

Word by Word

• अस्मदीये: in our
• अस्मदीये: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अस्मदीय (प्रातिपदिक) [अस्मद्-सम्बन्धी]
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषणम् (qualifying 'धरापृष्ठे')

• धरापृष्ठे: on the surface of the earth
• धरापृष्ठे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धरा (प्रातिपदिक) + पृष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन (Singular)

• यमः: Yama
• यमः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• मारयते: kills, causes to die
• मारयते: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मृ (धातु) [णिच् causative: मारय-]
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd), एकवचन (Singular), आत्मनेपद; णिच्-प्रत्यय (causative)

• जनम्: people, person
• जनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negative particle)

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Sambandha (Manner/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: evam (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारार्थक-अव्यय (adverb: 'thus/like this')

• स्वर्गे: in heaven
• स्वर्गे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वर्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन (Singular)

• न: nor/not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negative particle)

• पाताले: in Pātāla (netherworld)
• पाताले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाताल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन (Singular)

• पश्य: see, behold
• पश्य: Kriya (Command/आज्ञा)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पश्/दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष (2nd), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• अहो: ah! indeed
• अहो: Sambandha (Exclamation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: aho (अव्यय)
• Form: विस्मयार्थक-अव्यय (interjection/particle of wonder)

• कार्यकारणम्: cause and effect
• कार्यकारणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्य (प्रातिपदिक) + कारण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular); इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः (cause and effect)

Speaker

Unspecified (contextual speaker within the Vastrāpathakṣetra-māhātmya narrative)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim on a sacred path pauses in contemplation as Yama, distant and symbolic, stands with staff noose; above, serene svarga and shadowy pātāla are hinted, while earth is shown as the active stage of karma.

Characters & Entities

• Yama
• Svarga
• Pātāla
• Dharā (Earth)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Earth is the principal arena where karma ripens into mortality; recognizing causality encourages dharmic living and pilgrimage merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Within the Vastrāpathakṣetra Māhātmya of Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa, the reflection on mortality supports the urgency of seeking merit at sacred places.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is given in this verse.