Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 28

Devanagari script

एते घोरा याम्यलोके श्रूयन्ते द्विजसत्तम । त्वत्प्रसादेन ते सोम्यास्तीर्थस्यास्य प्रभावतः

Transliteration

ete ghorā yāmyaloke śrūyante dvijasattama | tvatprasādena te somyāstīrthasyāsya prabhāvataḥ

Translation

โอ พราหมณ์ผู้ประเสริฐ สิ่งเหล่านี้เล่าลือว่าโหดร้ายในยมโลก; แต่ด้วยพระกรุณาของท่าน และด้วยอานุภาพแห่งทีรถะศักดิ์สิทธิ์นี้ มันกลับอ่อนโยน ไม่ครั่นคร้ามอีกต่อไป

Word by Word

• एते: these
• एते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद् (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम-प्रयोग (demonstrative pronoun)

• घोराः: terrible
• घोराः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: घोर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifier of एते)

• याम्यलोके: in Yama’s world
• याम्यलोके: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: याम्य + लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (यमस्य लोकः)

• श्रूयन्ते: are heard
• श्रूयन्ते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive)

• द्विजसत्तम: O best of the twice-born
• द्विजसत्तम: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज + सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative/सम्बोधन), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (द्विजानां सत्तमः)

• त्वत्प्रसादेन: by your grace
• त्वत्प्रसादेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद् + प्रसाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (त्वत्-प्रसादः)

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद् (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• सोम्याः: gentle/pleasant
• सोम्याः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सोम्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifier of ते)

• तीर्थस्य: of the tīrtha
• तीर्थस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

• अस्य: of this
• अस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम् (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• प्रभावतः: due to (its) power
• प्रभावतः: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रभाव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त: -तः), हेत्वर्थ/कारणार्थ (ablatival adverb)

Speaker

Narrator within the Revā Khaṇḍa context (deductive attribution: a beneficiary/devotee addressing a brāhmaṇa; framed by Mārkaṇḍeya’s narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dvija-sattama (addressed brāhmaṇa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim or donor stands at a sacred ford; shadowy, dreadful forms of Yama’s realm recede and soften under the radiance of the tīrtha and the blessing of a brāhmaṇa-sage.

Characters & Entities

• Yama
• Yāmya-loka
• Tīrtha
• Dvija

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tīrtha-sevā and the blessings of the righteous transform fear into peace, showing that grace and sacred geography can neutralize karmic dread.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A tīrtha of the Revā (Narmadā) region is being praised; the verse emphasizes ‘this tīrtha’s potency’ as the protective force.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicitly, reverence to the tīrtha and seeking the blessing (prasāda) of a dvija; explicit rites are not stated in this verse.