Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 44

Devanagari script

यंत्रात्मकस्ततः प्रोक्तो नरको दारुणाकृतिः । ब्रह्मघ्नास्तत्र पीड्यंते ये चाऽन्ये पापकर्मिणः

Transliteration

yaṃtrātmakastataḥ prokto narako dāruṇākṛtiḥ | brahmaghnāstatra pīḍyaṃte ye cā'nye pāpakarmiṇaḥ

Translation

ต่อจากนั้นมีนรกอันน่าสยดสยองที่เรียกว่า ‘ยันตราตมกะ’ คือแดนทรมานด้วยเครื่องกล ที่นั่นผู้ฆ่าพราหมณ์และผู้กระทำบาปอื่น ๆ ถูกเบียดเบียนอย่างหนัก

Word by Word

• यन्त्रात्मकः: of the nature of an instrument/contrivance
• यन्त्रात्मकः: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यन्त्र + आत्मक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण—नरकस्य

• ततः: then, thereafter
• ततः: Kriyavisheshana (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb) — ‘then/thereupon’

• प्रोक्तः: is said/declared
• प्रोक्तः: Kriya (Predicative participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + वच् (धातु) → प्रोक्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘कथितः’

• नरकः: hell
• नरकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नरक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• दारुणाकृतिः: of dreadful form
• दारुणाकृतिः: Visheshana (Adjectival qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दारुण + आकृति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण—नरकस्य

• ब्रह्मघ्नाः: slayers of a Brahmin
• ब्रह्मघ्नाः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मघ्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (locative adverb)

• पीड्यन्ते: are tormented
• पीड्यन्ते: Kriya (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पीड् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), कर्मणि प्रयोग (Passive); प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• ये: who
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक (relative pronoun)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• अन्ये: others
• अन्ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ‘अन्ये (others)’

• पापकर्मिणः: evil-doers, sinners
• पापकर्मिणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप + कर्मिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ‘पापकर्माणि येषां ते’

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Yantrātmaka-naraka

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A hell of machines: wheels, presses, blades, and contraptions tormenting sinners; brahma-slayers singled out among other pāpī beings.

Characters & Entities

• Yantrātmaka (Naraka)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Grave sins—especially brahmahatyā—are portrayed as leading to intense suffering, reinforcing the sanctity of dharma and non-violence.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No earthly site is named; the verse names a naraka (Yantrātmaka) within afterlife cosmology.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it identifies the realm and the classes of sinners afflicted there.