Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

व्यास उवाच । अतः परं प्रवक्ष्यामि धर्मराजस्य चेष्टितम् । यच्छ्रुत्वा यमदूतानां न भयं विद्यते क्वचित्

Transliteration

vyāsa uvāca | ataḥ paraṃ pravakṣyāmi dharmarājasya ceṣṭitam | yacchrutvā yamadūtānāṃ na bhayaṃ vidyate kvacit

Translation

毗耶娑说：接下来我将宣说法王（Dharmarāja）的行迹；听闻此事者，于任何处境都不会生起对阎摩使者的恐惧。

Word by Word

• vyāsaḥ: Vyāsa
• vyāsaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vyāsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (perfect/परोक्षभूत), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• ataḥ: therefore / from this
• ataḥ: Hetu/Apādāna (Reason/Source)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अपादान/हेतुवाचक-अर्थः (from this/therefore)

• param: next, further
• param: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणवत् ('further/next')

• pravakṣyāmi: I shall explain
• pravakṣyāmi: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra√vac (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (simple future/भविष्यत्), परस्मैपद, उत्तमपुरुष (1st), एकवचन

• dharmarājasya: of Dharmarāja (Yama)
• dharmarājasya: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dharma-rāja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः ('king of dharma' = Yama)

• ceṣṭitam: conduct, deeds
• ceṣṭitam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ceṣṭita (प्रातिपदिक; √ceṣṭ् + क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; 'conduct/deeds'

• yat: which
• yat: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yat (यद्-प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक-सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• śrutvā: having heard
• śrutvā: Pūrvakāla (Prior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √śru (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund/absolutive)

• yamadūtānām: of Yama’s messengers
• yamadūtānām: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yama-dūta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः ('messengers of Yama')

• na: not
• na: Pratiṣedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (निपात/अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपातः

• bhayam: fear
• bhayam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• vidyate: exists, is found
• vidyate: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vid (धातु; 'to be/ exist' in Ātmanepada usage)
• Form: लट् (present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• kvacit: anywhere, ever
• kvacit: Deśa/ Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Locative sense)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kvacit (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देश/कालवाचक-अनिश्चितता (anywhere/ever)

Speaker

Vyāsa

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis (implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Vyāsa as narrator seated in an āśrama, palm-leaf manuscript in hand, addressing attentive sages; behind him a faint vision of Dharmarāja and distant Yama-dūtas receding, symbolizing fear dispelled by narration.

Characters & Entities

• Vyāsa
• Dharmarāja (Yama)
• Yamadūta

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śravaṇa (devout listening) to dharmic Purāṇic narratives strengthens fearlessness and moral clarity regarding death and judgment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this opening verse; it introduces a dharma-narrative within Dharmāraṇya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicitly, śravaṇa (listening) to the sacred account is presented as spiritually protective; no formal rite is detailed.