Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

यमुनेशं प्रतीच्यां च नरैर्भक्त्या समर्चितम् । अपि किल्बिषवद्भिश्च यमलोकनिवारणम्

Transliteration

yamuneśaṃ pratīcyāṃ ca narairbhaktyā samarcitam | api kilbiṣavadbhiśca yamalokanivāraṇam

Translation

At sa kanluran naroon ang Yamuneśa, na sinasamba ng mga tao nang may debosyon. Kahit yaong nabibigatan ng mga kasalanan, pinipigil nito ang (kinatatakutang) daigdig ni Yama.

Word by Word

• yamunā-īśam: Lord of Yamunā (name of a liṅga)
• yamunā-īśam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yamunā (प्रातिपदिक) + īśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); तत्पुरुष—‘यमुनायाः ईशः’

• pratīcyām: in the west
• pratīcyām: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pratīcī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन (Singular); दिशावाचक

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

• naraiḥ: by men
• naraiḥ: Karana (Agent-instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (Plural)

• bhaktyā: with devotion
• bhaktyā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhakti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• samarcitam: worshipped
• samarcitam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sam-√arc (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle, क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); ‘well-worshipped’

• api: even
• api: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle)

• kilbiṣa-vadbhiḥ: by sinful (people)
• kilbiṣa-vadbhiḥ: Karana (Agent-instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kilbiṣa (प्रातिपदिक) + vat (प्रत्यय/तद्धित)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (Plural); तद्धितान्त ‘-वत्’ = ‘possessed of’

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

• yama-loka-nivāraṇam: that which wards off Yama’s world (hell)
• yama-loka-nivāraṇam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: yama (प्रातिपदिक) + loka (प्रातिपदिक) + nivāraṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); तत्पुरुष—‘यमलोकस्य निवारणम्’

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśī Khaṇḍa context, Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Yamuneśa Liṅga

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A western shrine at twilight; devotees with folded hands offer lamps to a liṅga; in the background, a shadowy Yama figure recedes, his noose loosening, symbolizing ‘Yamaloka-nivāraṇa’.

Characters & Entities

• Yamuneśa Liṅga
• Yama
• Yamaloka
• bhakti (devotion)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotional worship in Kāśī is portrayed as a powerful refuge, capable of cutting through sin and fear of post-mortem punishment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Yamuneśa (a Liṅga/shrine) situated to the west within the Triviṣṭapa sacred zone of Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Bhakti-based worship (samarcana) of Yamuneśa is highlighted as the means to avert Yamaloka.