Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 31

Devanagari script

एतानाहूय चांडालान्यमः पातकनायकान् । नरकस्य विवृद्ध्यर्थमाधिपत्यं चकार ह

Transliteration

etānāhūya cāṃḍālānyamaḥ pātakanāyakān | narakasya vivṛddhyarthamādhipatyaṃ cakāra ha

Translation

ان چانڈالوں کو بلا کر یم نے انہیں ‘پاتک نایک’ یعنی گناہوں کے سردار مقرر کیا، تاکہ دوزخ کی توسیع اور انتظام کے لیے انہیں اختیار ملے۔

Word by Word

• एतान्: these (persons)
• एतान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• आहूय: having summoned/called
• आहूय: Kriya (Gerundial action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-ह्वे (धातु) → आहूय (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund/absolutive), पूर्वकाल (having summoned)

• चाण्डालान्: Caṇḍālas/outcastes
• चाण्डालान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चाण्डाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

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

• पातकनायकान्: leaders of sins
• पातकनायकान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पातक-नायक (प्रातिपदिक; पातक + नायक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (पातकानां नायकाः)

• नरकस्य: of hell
• नरकस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नरक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• विवृद्धि-अर्थम्: for the increase (of it)
• विवृद्धि-अर्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विवृद्धि-अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक; विवृद्धि + अर्थ)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; प्रयोजनार्थे द्वितीया (for the purpose of); षष्ठी/कर्मधारय-भावार्थक समासः (विवृद्ध्यर्थम् = विवृद्धेः अर्थम्)

• आधिपत्यम्: lordship/authority
• आधिपत्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आधिपत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• चकार: made/appointed
• चकार: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• ह: indeed (expletive)
• ह: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ह (अव्यय)
• Form: पादपूरण/निपात (expletive particle)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narrator; exact speaker not explicit in the snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Naraka (Yamaloka)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Yama enthroned with danda (staff) and pāśa (noose), summoning grim outcaste-like figures as personified sins; a bureaucratic court of Naraka with ledgers, gates, and smoky horizons.

Characters & Entities

• Yama
• Naraka (hell)
• Pātakanāyaka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Actions opposed to dharma generate structured consequences; Purāṇas depict moral order through Yama’s governance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific location is praised here; the verse describes cosmic administration of punishment.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None in this verse; it provides narrative background for the later emphasis on Rudra-recitation’s power.