Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

यम उवाच । आज्ञापयतु मां देवो यमुनां च जगत्प्रभुः । कार्यं यद्भाविनोऽर्थस्य तत्करिष्ये न संशयः

Transliteration

yama uvāca | ājñāpayatu māṃ devo yamunāṃ ca jagatprabhuḥ | kāryaṃ yadbhāvino'rthasya tatkariṣye na saṃśayaḥ

Translation

ยมตรัสว่า “ขอพระผู้เป็นเจ้าแห่งโลกทรงมีพระบัญชาแก่ข้าพเจ้า—และแก่พระยมุนาด้วย สิ่งใดที่พึงกระทำเพื่อกิจอันจะมาถึง ข้าพเจ้าจักกระทำโดยปราศจากความสงสัย”

Word by Word

• यमः: Yama
• यमः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन — Nominative singular

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद — ‘said’

• आज्ञापयतु: let (him) command
• आज्ञापयतु: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-ज्ञा (धातु) (णिच्)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद — ‘let (him) command’

• माम्: me
• माम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — Accusative singular

• देवः: the god
• देवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन — Nominative singular

• यमुनाम्: Yamunā
• यमुनाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यमुना (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — Accusative singular

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• जगत्-प्रभुः: the lord of the world
• जगत्-प्रभुः: Apposition (Co-referent/समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रभु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन — Nominative singular; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: जगतः प्रभुः — ‘lord of the world’

• कार्यम्: the task/what is to be done
• कार्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्य (प्रातिपदिक; √कृ + यत्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — Accusative singular

• यत्: which/whatever
• यत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन — relative pronoun (agreeing with कार्यम्)

• भाविनः: of what is to come/future
• भाविनः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भाविन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन — Genitive singular (agreeing with अर्थस्य)

• अर्थस्य: of the matter/purpose
• अर्थस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन — Genitive singular

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — Accusative singular (referring to कार्यम्)

• करिष्ये: I will do
• करिष्ये: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple future), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद — ‘I shall do’

• न: not/no
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negation particle)

• संशयः: doubt
• संशयः: Karta (Predicate nominal/प्रथमा-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संशय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन — Nominative singular

Speaker

Yama

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (with Yamunā/Koṭitīrtha linkage forthcoming)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Sūrya (bhūvana-sākṣin)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Yama, holding the staff of Time, speaks with unwavering resolve, palms joined, requesting command for himself and Yamunā; Sūrya stands as radiant sovereign-witness, the scene charged with duty and devotion.

Characters & Entities

• Yama
• Yamunā
• Sūrya (implied by context)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

True dharma is readiness to serve divine purpose—Yama exemplifies disciplined obedience aligned with cosmic welfare.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsakṣetra, where divine agents are appointed for the kṣetra’s protection and sanctity.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No ritual is prescribed directly; the verse emphasizes divine authorization behind future tīrtha-events and protections.