Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 30

Devanagari script

यमदूतास्ततो गत्वा नाभिमूलव्यवस्थितम् । वायुरूपं समादाय जनैः सर्वैरलक्षिताः

Transliteration

yamadūtāstato gatvā nābhimūlavyavasthitam | vāyurūpaṃ samādāya janaiḥ sarvairalakṣitāḥ

Translation

แล้วทูตแห่งพระยมจึงไปตั้งอยู่ ณ โคนสะดือ; แปลงกายเป็นลม จึงไม่เป็นที่สังเกตแก่ผู้คนทั้งปวง

Word by Word

• यमदूताः: messengers of Yama
• यमदूताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yama (यम प्रातिपदिक) + dūta (दूत प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा (1st/Nominative) बहुवचनम्; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (यमस्य दूताः)

• ततः: then, thereafter
• ततः: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (ततः अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तदनन्तरवाचक (then/thereafter)

• गत्वा: having gone
• गत्वा: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: gam (गम् धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive)

• नाभिमूलव्यवस्थितम्: situated at the navel-root
• नाभिमूलव्यवस्थितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nābhi (नाभि प्रातिपदिक) + mūla (मूल प्रातिपदिक) + vyavasthita (व्यवस्थित कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative) एकवचनम्; विशेषणम्; सप्तमी/षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषसमासः (नाभिमूले व्यवस्थितम् = situated at the navel-root)

• वायुरूपम्: the form of wind
• वायुरूपम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vāyu (वायु प्रातिपदिक) + rūpa (रूप प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative) एकवचनम्; ‘वायोः रूपम्’ इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः

• समादाय: having taken/assumed
• समादाय: Kriya-viseshana (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-ā-dā (सम्+आ+दा धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive); ‘समादाय’ = having taken/assumed

• जनैः: by people
• जनैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jana (जन प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental) बहुवचनम्

• सर्वैः: by all
• सर्वैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (सर्व प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental) बहुवचनम्; ‘जनैः’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• अलक्षिताः: unnoticed, not perceived
• अलक्षिताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a-lakṣita (अलक्षित कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा (1st/Nominative) बहुवचनम्; भूतकर्मणि क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle) ‘न लक्षिताः’

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Unseen wind-like yamadūtas gather at the navel-root of a weakened person; only subtle swirls and dark currents reveal their presence while bystanders remain unaware.

Characters & Entities

• Yama
• Yamadūta

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Death is depicted as a subtle process governed by cosmic law; unseen forces execute karmic transition.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single site is named in this verse; it forms the doctrinal background within a Tīrthamāhātmya chapter.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly; the verse supports the urgency of dharma and meritorious acts before death.