Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 87

Devanagari script

तं च स्माशानिकानाम गणा याम्या भयावहाः । शीतवातातपोपेतं तत्र रक्षंति पापिनम्

Transliteration

taṃ ca smāśānikānāma gaṇā yāmyā bhayāvahāḥ | śītavātātapopetaṃ tatra rakṣaṃti pāpinam

Translation

وہاں ‘شمشانک’ نامی یم جیسے خوفناک کارندے گنہگار کی نگرانی کرتے ہیں، جو سردی، ہوا اور جھلسا دینے والی گرمی میں گھرا رہتا ہے۔

Word by Word

• तम्: him/that one
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म/Accusative), एकवचन — Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Coordination/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• श्माशानिकानाम्: of the cremation-ground beings
• श्माशानिकानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्माशानिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध/Genitive), बहुवचन — Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• गणाः: groups/troops
• गणाः: Kartā (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (कर्ता/Nominative), बहुवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• याम्याः: belonging to Yama (southern)
• याम्याः: Kartā (Subject-qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: याम्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Plural; विशेषणम् (qualifying ‘गणाः’)

• भयावहाः: fear-bringing/terrifying
• भयावहाः: Kartā (Subject-qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भय-आवह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः उपपद-तत्पुरुष (भयं आवहन्ति इति); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Plural; विशेषणम्

• शीतवातातपोपेतम्: endowed with cold, wind, and heat
• शीतवातातपोपेतम्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शीत-वात-आतप-उपेत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः (शीतं च वातश्च आतपश्च—द्वन्द्व-पूर्वपद + उपेत ‘endowed with’); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — Neuter, Accusative, Singular; विशेषणम् (तम्)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• रक्षन्ति: they guard/keep
• रक्षन्ति: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: रक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन — Present indicative, 3rd person plural

• पापिनम्: the sinner
• पापिनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पापिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म/Accusative), एकवचन — Masculine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa narrative frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A bleak cremation-ground-like landscape in the otherworld: dark attendants of Yama (smāśānikas) stand guard over a trembling preta, buffeted by cold winds and scorching rays.

Characters & Entities

• Yama
• Smāśānika-gaṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sin leads to fear and hardship after death; the verse warns toward ethical living and timely rites.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is praised; the verse is a moral-cosmological warning within the afterlife narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct prescription; it reinforces the urgency of dharma and the supportive role of śrāddha described nearby.