Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 56

Devanagari script

यमदूताः पलायंते सतीमालोक्य दूरतः । अपि दुष्कृतकर्माणं समुत्सृज्य च तत्पतिम्

Transliteration

yamadūtāḥ palāyaṃte satīmālokya dūrataḥ | api duṣkṛtakarmāṇaṃ samutsṛjya ca tatpatim

Translation

Ang mga sugo ni Yama ay tumatakas kapag nakita ang isang satī kahit mula sa malayo, at iniiwan pa ang kanyang asawa, kahit siya’y gumawa ng masasamang gawa.

Word by Word

• यमदूताः: Yama's messengers
• यमदूताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yama + dūta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/कर्ता), बहुवचन (Plural); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: यमस्य दूताः

• पलायन्ते: flee away
• पलायन्ते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √palāy (धातु: पलाय्)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (Plural), आत्मनेपद (Ātmanepada)

• सतीम्: the virtuous wife
• सतीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: satī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), द्वितीया (Accusative/कर्म), एकवचन (Singular)

• आलोक्य: having seen
• आलोक्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā√lok (धातु: लोक्)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Gerund/Absolutive), पूर्वकाल (having seen); उपसर्ग: आ-

• दूरतः: from afar
• दूरतः: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: dūratas (अव्यय/तद्धित)
• Form: अव्यय (Avyaya), देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of place)

• अपि: even, also
• अपि: Discourse particle (Nipata/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (Avyaya), अवधान/समुच्चयार्थ (particle: even/also)

• दुष्कृतकर्माणम्: one of evil deeds
• दुष्कृतकर्माणम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: duṣkṛta + karman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया (Accusative/कर्म), एकवचन (Singular); कर्मधारय: दुष्कृतं कर्म यस्य (as adjective to पति)

• समुत्सृज्य: having let go/abandoned
• समुत्सृज्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-ut√sṛj (धातु: सृज्)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Gerund/Absolutive), पूर्वकाल (having released/abandoned); उपसर्ग: सम्-उत्-

• च: and
• च: Connector (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (Avyaya), समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• तत्पतिम्: her husband
• तत्पतिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tat + pati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया (Accusative/कर्म), एकवचन (Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: तस्य पतिः (i.e., her husband)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśī-khaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrimage-inquirer audience

Visual Art Cues

Scene: From afar, yamadūtas spot a radiant pativratā approaching; they drop their nooses and flee, leaving behind a trembling, guilt-laden husband now under her protection.

Characters & Entities

• Yamadūtas
• Yama

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The text emphasizes the extraordinary protective potency attributed to steadfast dharma embodied by a pativratā.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse does not name a tīrtha; it continues Kāśī-khaṇḍa’s dharma-praise within the sacred geography narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse describes a consequence (Yamadūtas retreat) rather than a prescribed rite.