Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 71

Devanagari script

यमः संभाषते वाण्या महिषोपरि संस्थितः । पश्य रुद्रस्य माहात्म्यं चित्रगुप्त विचारय

Transliteration

yamaḥ saṃbhāṣate vāṇyā mahiṣopari saṃsthitaḥ | paśya rudrasya māhātmyaṃ citragupta vicāraya

Translation

Yama, sentado sobre o seu búfalo, falou em palavras: “Contempla a grandeza de Rudra—ó Citragupta, pondera-a bem.”

Word by Word

• यमः: Yama
• यमः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• संभाषते: speaks, converses
• संभाषते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + भाष् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• वाण्या: with speech/voice
• वाण्या: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• महिष-उपरि: upon the buffalo
• महिष-उपरि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: महिष (प्रातिपदिक) + उपरि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय-प्रयोगः; ‘उपरि’ = उपरि-देशवाचक-अव्यय, पूर्वपद ‘महिष’ षष्ठ्यर्थे (on the buffalo)

• संस्थितः: seated, stationed
• संस्थितः: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + स्था (धातु) + क्त (प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (PPP); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

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

• रुद्रस्य: of Rudra
• रुद्रस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• माहात्म्यम्: greatness, glory
• माहात्म्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माहात्म्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• चित्रगुप्त: O Citragupta
• चित्रगुप्त: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चित्र + गुप्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (चित्रः गुप्तः)

• विचारय: consider, reflect
• विचारय: Kriya (Command/आज्ञा)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + चर् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Yama (quoted within the narrative)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vastrāpatha

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Citragupta

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Yama enthroned on a buffalo in a dim, judicial otherworld, addressing Citragupta with scrolls/ledger, pointing toward a radiant emblem of Rudra’s greatness.

Characters & Entities

• Yama
• Mahiṣa (buffalo mount)
• Rudra
• Citragupta

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva’s glory is so decisive that even Yama acknowledges it—devotion can transform the accounting of karma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is a doctrinal climax within Vastrāpathakṣetra-māhātmya, emphasizing Rudra’s supremacy rather than naming a new site.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription here; it supports the preceding praise of Māgha caturdaśī Śiva-jāgaraṇa by invoking Yama’s testimony.