Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 62

Devanagari script

विमोच्याथ यमः कष्टात्कंठेऽवष्टभ्य चासुरम् । बाहुभ्यां भ्रामयामास सोऽप्यात्मानममोचयत्

Transliteration

vimocyātha yamaḥ kaṣṭātkaṃṭhe'vaṣṭabhya cāsuram | bāhubhyāṃ bhrāmayāmāsa so'pyātmānamamocayat

Translation

Rồi Yama khó nhọc mới thoát ra, liền ghì chặt cổ tên asura và dùng cả hai tay quay cuồng hắn. Thế nhưng ác quỷ ấy cũng tự vùng thoát được.

Word by Word

• विमोच्य: having been freed / having freed (himself)
• विमोच्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + मुच् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having freed himself/being released)

• अथ: then
• अथ: Discourse particle
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुक्रम/आरम्भसूचक (then/now)

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

• कष्टात्: from distress/difficulty
• कष्टात्: Apadana (Ablative/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कष्ट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), एकवचन

• कण्ठे: at/on the neck
• कण्ठे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कण्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• अवष्टभ्य: having seized/pressed
• अवष्टभ्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव + स्तभ् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having pressed/held fast)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• असुरम्: the asura (demon)
• असुरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: असुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• बाहुभ्याम्: with (his) two arms
• बाहुभ्याम्: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाहु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, द्विवचन

• भ्रामयामास: whirled (him) around
• भ्रामयामास: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भ्रम् (धातु) [णिच्]
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; णिच्

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• अपि: also
• अपि: Samuccaya/Emphasis
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/अवधान (also)

• आत्मानम्: himself
• आत्मानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; आत्मवाचक

• अमोचयत्: released (himself)
• अमोचयत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुच् (धातु) [णिच्]
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; णिच् (causative: 'released')

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta), narrating to the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa context)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Yama breaks free, clamps the asura’s throat, and whirls him with both arms; the asura strains and slips free at the end—two sequential beats in one tableau (release → choke-grip → spin → escape).

Characters & Entities

• Yama
• Asura (Daitya)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even the enforcer of Dharma (Yama) must strive—divine duty is portrayed as steadfast effort against adharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; it functions within a Kaumārikākhaṇḍa narrative frame rather than a site-māhātmya line.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

None; the verse is purely martial narrative.