Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 164

Devanagari script

एतद्वः सर्वमाख्यातमाख्यानं सर्वकामदम् । पठतां शृण्वतां चैव इहलोके परत्र च

Transliteration

etadvaḥ sarvamākhyātamākhyānaṃ sarvakāmadam | paṭhatāṃ śṛṇvatāṃ caiva ihaloke paratra ca

Translation

قد أُخبرتم بكل هذا—وهو خبرٌ يهب كلَّ المرادات. فمن يتلوه ومن يسمعه ينال ثمرته في هذه الدنيا وفي الآخرة.

Word by Word

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• वः: to you; for you
• वः: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी/चतुर्थी (6th/4th), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम (of you/for you)

• सर्वम्: all
• सर्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणवत्

• आख्यातम्: has been narrated
• आख्यातम्: Kriya (Verbal predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ + ख्या (धातु) + क्त (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृतान्त (क्त-प्रत्यय, भूतकर्मणि), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विधेय (has been told)

• आख्यानम्: narrative; account
• आख्यानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आख्यान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• सर्वकामदम्: granting all desires
• सर्वकामदम्: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व + काम + द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (giver of all desires)

• पठताम्: of those who read/recite
• पठताम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पठ् (धातु) + शतृ (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृतान्त (शतृ-वर्तमानकृदन्त), षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन; ‘पठत्’ (of those who recite)

• शृण्वताम्: of those who listen
• शृण्वताम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रु (धातु) + शतृ (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृतान्त (शतृ-वर्तमानकृदन्त), षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन; ‘शृण्वत्’ (of those who listen)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (and)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अवधारणार्थक-निपात (indeed/just)

• इहलोके: in this world
• इहलोके: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इह + लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन; अधिकरण (in this world)

• परत्र: in the next world
• परत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: परत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, देश/कालवाचक (in the other world/afterwards)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चयार्थक-निपात

Speaker

Sūta (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Amareśvara māhātmya (episode)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sūta concludes the narrative before an assembly of sages; palm-leaf manuscripts, a sacred fire, and attentive listeners symbolize the merit of recitation and hearing across worlds.

Characters & Entities

• Ākhyāna (sacred narrative)
• Śravaṇa
• Pāṭha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Engaging with sacred geography through listening and recitation is itself a dharmic act that yields merit here and hereafter.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The preceding pīṭha/tīrtha narrative as a whole; the verse functions as a concluding phalaśruti.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Recitation (pāṭha) and hearing (śravaṇa) of the māhātmya account.