Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 87
तं च स्माशानिकानाम गणा याम्या भयावहाः । शीतवातातपोपेतं तत्र रक्षंति पापिनम्
taṃ ca smāśānikānāma gaṇā yāmyā bhayāvahāḥ | śītavātātapopetaṃ tatra rakṣaṃti pāpinam
Dan di sana, para pengiring yang menakutkan, seumpama Yama, yang dikenali sebagai ‘smāśānika’, mengawal si pendosa yang dihimpit oleh sejuk, angin, dan bahang terik.
Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narrative frame)
Scene: A bleak cremation-ground-like landscape in the otherworld: dark attendants of Yama (smāśānikas) stand guard over a trembling preta, buffeted by cold winds and scorching rays.
FAQs
Sin leads to fear and hardship after death; the verse warns toward ethical living and timely rites.
No tīrtha is praised; the verse is a moral-cosmological warning within the afterlife narrative.
No direct prescription; it reinforces the urgency of dharma and the supportive role of śrāddha described nearby.