Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 39

Devanagari script

तथा यस्तामसो नाम नरकं प्रतिपद्यते । भुक्त्वा बह्वीर्यातनाश्च स्थावरत्वं प्रपद्यते

Transliteration

tathā yastāmaso nāma narakaṃ pratipadyate | bhuktvā bahvīryātanāśca sthāvaratvaṃ prapadyate

Translation

同样，被称为“塔摩萨（tāmasa）”者堕入地狱。受尽诸多苦刑之后，便得不动之身（如草木等静止之形）。

Word by Word

• तथा: thus; likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Discourse connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकार/उपमानार्थक क्रियाविशेषण (indeclinable adverb: ‘thus/so’)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सम्बन्धवाचक सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• तामसः: tamasic; of darkness
• तामसः: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तामस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (adjective)

• नाम: by name; indeed
• नाम: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle) ‘indeed/by name’

• नरकम्: hell
• नरकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नरक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• प्रतिपद्यते: attains; reaches
• प्रतिपद्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रति√पद् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• भुक्त्वा: having experienced
• भुक्त्वा: Kriya (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भुज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund) अव्ययभाव; पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having experienced)

• बह्वीः: many
• बह्वीः: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बह्वी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन; विशेषण

• यातनाः: torments; punishments
• यातनाः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यातना (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक निपात (conjunction)

• स्थावरत्वम्: the state of being immobile (plant/stone-like)
• स्थावरत्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्थावरत्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; भाववाचक (state/condition)

• प्रपद्यते: falls into; attains
• प्रपद्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र√पद् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

Speaker

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

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A dark, infernal realm where a fallen soul undergoes yātanās; the narrative then shifts to the soul entering a motionless plant-like form, rooted and bound by karma.

Characters & Entities

• Naraka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Tamas-driven wrongdoing results in suffering and degraded rebirth, emphasizing moral responsibility.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None is named; the focus is karmic consequence rather than sacred geography.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is prescribed; the implicit instruction is to avoid tāmasa conduct.