Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 175

Devanagari script

यमलोके महाघोरे पतन्तं योऽभिरक्षति । इतिहासपुराणज्ञं विष्णुभक्तं जितेन्द्रियम्

Transliteration

yamaloke mahāghore patantaṃ yo'bhirakṣati | itihāsapurāṇajñaṃ viṣṇubhaktaṃ jitendriyam

Translation

ในยมโลกอันน่าสะพรึงกลัว ผู้ใดคุ้มครองผู้กำลังตกต่ำ—ผู้รู้คัมภีร์อิติหาสะและปุราณะ เป็นผู้ภักดีต่อวิษณุ และผู้ชนะอินทรีย์—

Word by Word

• यमलोके: in Yama’s world
• यमलोके: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यम-लोक (प्रातिपदिक; समास: यम + लोक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• महाघोरे: very dreadful
• महाघोरे: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महाघोर (प्रातिपदिक; समास: महा + घोर)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (very terrible)

• पतन्तम्: one who is falling
• पतन्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पत् (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकृदन्त (present participle), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

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

• अभिरक्षति: protects
• अभिरक्षति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि-रक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• इतिहासपुराणज्ञम्: knowing the epics and purāṇas
• इतिहासपुराणज्ञम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इतिहास-पुराण-ज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक; समास: इतिहास + पुराण + ज्ञ)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (knower of Itihāsa and Purāṇa)

• विष्णुभक्तम्: a devotee of Viṣṇu
• विष्णुभक्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विष्णु-भक्त (प्रातिपदिक; समास: विष्णु + भक्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (devotee of Viṣṇu)

• जितेन्द्रियम्: self-controlled
• जितेन्द्रियम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जित-इन्द्रिय (प्रातिपदिक; समास: जित + इन्द्रिय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (one whose senses are conquered/self-controlled)

Speaker

Narratorial voice within Revā-khaṇḍa (speaker not explicit in snippet; contextual purāṇic instruction)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A stark vision of Yama’s realm—dark, fearsome—where a virtuous scholar-devotee is about to fall; a protector intervenes, lifting him up, while Yama’s attendants recoil; the rescued figure holds a manuscript, wears simple dress, and bears Vaiṣṇava marks.

Characters & Entities

• Yama
• Viṣṇu
• Itihāsa
• Purāṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic dharma esteems protecting the righteous—especially the self-controlled and scripturally grounded devotee—as an act with afterlife significance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse sits within the Revā-khaṇḍa’s tīrtha-māhātmya flow (Dvīpeśvara/Siddheśvara context), though it focuses on ethical merit rather than naming the site.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is prescribed here; the emphasis is on the dharmic act of protection/rescue of a virtuous person.