Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 79

Devanagari script

प्रणता यमदंष्ट्रायैस्तीर्थेचोद्दालकाभिधे । कृत्वापि पापसंघातं न यमाद्बिभ्यतीहते

Transliteration

praṇatā yamadaṃṣṭrāyaistīrthecoddālakābhidhe | kṛtvāpi pāpasaṃghātaṃ na yamādbibhyatīhate

Translation

ณทิรถะศักดิ์สิทธิ์ชื่ออุททาลกะ ผู้ใดนอบน้อมแด่ยมทังษฏรา แม้มีบาปกองใหญ่ ก็ไม่หวาดกลัวยม ณ ที่นี้

Word by Word

• praṇatāḥ: those who have bowed / the bowed ones
• praṇatāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: praṇata (कृदन्त; √nam प्र + नत)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त) ‘प्रणत’ = bowed

• yamadaṃṣṭrāyaiḥ: with Yama’s fangs / by the fangs of Yama
• yamadaṃṣṭrāyaiḥ: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yama-daṃṣṭrā (प्रातिपदिक; यम + दंष्ट्रा)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; ‘यमस्य दंष्ट्रा’

• tīrthe: in the sacred ford/place of pilgrimage
• tīrthe: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tīrtha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha/Connector
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• uddālaka-abhidhe: called ‘Uddālaka’
• uddālaka-abhidhe: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: uddālaka-abhidha (प्रातिपदिक; उद्दालक + अभिधा)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; ‘उद्दालक-नाम्नि’

• kṛtvā: having done
• kṛtvā: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṛ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund) ‘having done’

• api: even
• api: Sambandha/Emphasis
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अपि = even/also (particle)

• pāpa-saṃghātam: a mass/heap of sins
• pāpa-saṃghātam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāpa-saṃghāta (प्रातिपदिक; पाप + संघात)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; ‘पापानां संघातः’

• na: not
• na: Negation
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negation particle)

• yamāt: from Yama
• yamāt: Apadana (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

• bibhyati: they fear
• bibhyati: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √bhī (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• iha: here
• iha: Desha-adhikarana (देशाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iha (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• te: they
• te: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम ‘ते’

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda speaking to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Uddālaka-tīrtha

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim with folded hands bows at a Kāśī ford labeled ‘Uddālaka’; behind, a fierce guardian Devī ‘Yamadaṃṣṭrā’ stands as an abhaya-giver, while the shadowy figure of Yama recedes, powerless at the kṣetra boundary.

Characters & Entities

• Kāśī
• Uddālaka Tīrtha
• Yamadaṃṣṭrā
• Yama

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Reverence at a Kāśī tīrtha can dissolve fear and lessen the burden of sin, highlighting the purifying power of sacred place and devotion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Uddālaka Tīrtha in Kāśī, where Yamadaṃṣṭrā is honored.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Namaskāra (bowing/obeisance) to Yamadaṃṣṭrā at the Uddālaka Tīrtha.