Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 31

Devanagari script

ततः कालेन संप्राप्तो यमस्य सदनं प्रति । विपाप्मापि च चिह्नेन युक्तोऽयं पृथिवीपतिः

Transliteration

tataḥ kālena saṃprāpto yamasya sadanaṃ prati | vipāpmāpi ca cihnena yukto'yaṃ pṛthivīpatiḥ

Translation

ତାପରେ କାଳକ୍ରମେ ସେ ରାଜା ଯମଙ୍କ ସଦନକୁ ପହଞ୍ଚିଲେ; ପାପମୁକ୍ତ ହେଲେ ମଧ୍ୟ ସେ କର୍ମର ଏକ ଚିହ୍ନ ତାଙ୍କରେ ରହିଗଲା।

Word by Word

• ततः: thereafter
• ततः: Adhikarana (Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण) — ‘ततः’ = ‘तस्मात्/तदनन्तरम्’ (thereafter/from there)

• कालेन: by time
• कालेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन — ‘कालेन’ (by time/with time)

• संप्राप्तः: arrived
• संप्राप्तः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-प्र-आप् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — ‘संप्राप्तः’ (having reached/arrived)

• यमस्य: of Yama
• यमस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन — ‘यमस्य’ (of Yama)

• सदनम्: abode
• सदनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सदन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन — ‘सदनम्’ (abode/house)

• प्रति: towards
• प्रति: Karma-pravachaniya (Postposition/कर्मप्रवचनीय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (उपसर्ग/निपात; दिशाबोधक) — ‘प्रति’ (towards)

• विपाप्मा: sinless
• विपाप्मा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि-पाप्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — ‘विपाप्मा’ (sinless/free from sin)

• अपि: even/also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात) — ‘अपि’ (also/even)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चयबोधक) — ‘च’ (and)

• चिह्नेन: with a mark
• चिह्नेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चिह्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन — ‘चिह्नेन’ (with a mark/sign)

• युक्तः: endowed
• युक्तः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: युज् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — ‘युक्तः’ (joined/endowed)

• अयम्: this
• अयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — ‘अयम्’ (this)

• पृथिवीपतिः: king
• पृथिवीपतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पृथिवी (प्रातिपदिक) + पति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन — षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (पृथिव्याः पतिः) (lord of the earth)

Speaker

Śrī Bhagavān (Janārdana/Viṣṇu)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: bhūpati (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A king, purified yet bearing a faint karmic mark, approaches Yama’s radiant court where Dharma weighs deeds with impartiality.

Characters & Entities

• Yama
• pṛthivīpati (king)
• cihna (mark)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purification can remove sin’s guilt, yet karmic consequences may persist as a ‘mark,’ underscoring moral causality.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader narrative still points to tīrtha power (notably Kāśī mentioned earlier) while clarifying the complexity of karmic residue.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None directly; it describes the karmic outcome despite prior purification disciplines.