Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 70

Devanagari script

तार्यते च नदीं घोरां पूयशोणितवाहिनीम् । नदीं वैतरणीं नाम केशशैवलशाद्वलाम्

Transliteration

tāryate ca nadīṃ ghorāṃ pūyaśoṇitavāhinīm | nadīṃ vaitaraṇīṃ nāma keśaśaivalaśādvalām

Translation

At siya’y pinatawid sa isang nakapangingilabot na ilog na umaagos ng nana at dugo—ang ilog na tinatawag na Vaitaraṇī—na ang mga pampang ay gusot sa buhok at nababalutan ng malagkit na lumot at damo.

Word by Word

• तार्यते: is made to cross / is ferried across
• तार्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: तॄ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), कर्मणि प्रयोगः (Passive), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय

• नदीम्: river
• नदीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नदी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• घोराम्: terrible
• घोराम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: घोर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (नदीम्)

• पूयशोणितवाहिनीम्: carrying pus and blood
• पूयशोणितवाहिनीम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूय + शोणित + वाहिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषसमासः (पूयशोणितं वहति इति); विशेषणम् (नदीम्)

• नदीम्: the river
• नदीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नदी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• वैतरणीम्: Vaitaraṇī
• वैतरणीम्: Samjna (Apposition/संज्ञा)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैतरणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• नाम: by name
• नाम: Samjna (Naming particle/संज्ञा)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; संज्ञासूचक-निपात (particle indicating name: 'by name')

• केशशैवलशाद्वलाम्: having hair, algae, and grass (as its growth)
• केशशैवलशाद्वलाम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: केश + शैवल + शाद्वल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वसमासः (केश-शैवल-शाद्वल); विशेषणम् (नदीम्)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa/Sūta (deduced for Māheśvara-khaṇḍa narrative style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Vaitaraṇī

Type: river

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A horrific river of pus and blood, banks tangled with hair and slimy weeds; the sinner is forced to ford it under yamadūtas’ command.

Characters & Entities

• Vaitaraṇī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sin leads to a dreadful afterlife passage; dharma and merit are portrayed as the true safeguards beyond death.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No earthly tīrtha is praised; the verse describes the otherworldly Vaitaraṇī of Yama’s realm.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None explicitly in this verse; the chapter context links ease of passage to righteous deeds and charitable giving.