Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

यो वेदमार्गमुल्लंघ्य वर्तते कुपथे नरः । सोऽसिपत्रवने घोरे पात्यते यमकिंकरैः

Transliteration

yo vedamārgamullaṃghya vartate kupathe naraḥ | so'sipatravane ghore pātyate yamakiṃkaraiḥ

Translation

Sesiapa yang melanggar jalan Weda lalu hidup di jalan durjana, para utusan Yama mencampakkannya ke rimba Asipatra yang menggerunkan.

Word by Word

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक-सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• वेदमार्गम्: the path of the Veda
• वेदमार्गम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेद (प्रातिपदिक) + मार्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (वेदस्य मार्गः)

• उल्लङ्घ्य: having transgressed/overstepped
• उल्लङ्घ्य: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उत्-लङ्घ् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (absolutive/gerund); पूर्वकर्म-क्रिया (having transgressed)

• वर्तते: conducts himself, proceeds
• वर्तते: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृत् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• कुपथे: on the wrong path
• कुपथे: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कु (उपसर्ग/निपात) + पथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (कु-पथः)

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; निर्देश-सर्वनाम (demonstrative pronoun)

• असिपत्रवने: in the forest of sword-leaves
• असिपत्रवने: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: असि (प्रातिपदिक) + पत्र (प्रातिपदिक) + वन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (असिपत्राणां वनम्)

• घोरे: terrible
• घोरे: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: घोर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying असिपत्रवने)

• पात्यते: is made to fall / is cast down
• पात्यते: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पत् (धातु) [णिच् causative: पातयति]
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive)

• यमकिंकरैः: by Yama's servants
• यमकिंकरैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यम (प्रातिपदिक) + किंकर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (यमस्य किंकराः)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Setukhaṇḍa narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Setutīrtha (Setubandha)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A lone man turns away from a luminous Vedic path; Yama’s attendants seize him and drive him into a dark forest whose leaves are sword-blades (asipatra), evoking terror and moral consequence.

Characters & Entities

• Veda-mārga
• Asipatravana (hell-forest)
• Yama
• Yama-kiṅkara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Dharma is defined as living in alignment with sacred law; deliberate deviation brings grave consequences.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Setu-kṣetra is the broader context, illustrating that sacred places support dharma-centered living.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; the verse is an ethical injunction to remain within veda-mārga.