Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 29

Devanagari script

सर्वामयहरं चैव सर्वपापौघहारिणम् । ये नराः कीर्तयिष्यंति नामाप्यश्वत्थवृक्षजम्

Transliteration

sarvāmayaharaṃ caiva sarvapāpaughahāriṇam | ye narāḥ kīrtayiṣyaṃti nāmāpyaśvatthavṛkṣajam

Translation

إنه يزيل كل داء ويجرف سيول الخطايا. والرجال الذين ينشدون أو يتلون حتى الاسم المولود من شجرة الأشفَتّه (أي اسم الأشفَتّه) ينالون ذلك الثواب المطهِّر.

Word by Word

• सर्वामयहरम्: removing all diseases
• सर्वामयहरम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व + आमय + हर (प्रातिपदिक); components: सर्व(सर्व) + आमय(आमय) + हर(हर)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (सर्वान् आमयान् हरति)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-बोधक निपात (conjunction)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphasis)

• सर्वपापौघहारिणम्: removing the flood/mass of all sins
• सर्वपापौघहारिणम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व + पाप + ओघ + हारिन् (प्रातिपदिक); components: सर्व(सर्व) + पाप(पाप) + ओघ(ओघ) + हारिन्(हारिन्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (सर्वेषां पापानाम् ओघं हरति)

• ये: those who
• ये: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सम्बन्धक सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• नराः: men/people
• नराः: Karta (कर्ता/Apposition to ये)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• कीर्तयिष्यन्ति: will praise/recite
• कीर्तयिष्यन्ति: Kriya (क्रिया/Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कीर्तय् (धातु, णिजन्त from कीर्त्)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple future), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन, परस्मैपद

• नाम: the name
• नाम: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अपि: even/also
• अपि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (also/even)

• अश्वत्थवृक्षजम्: born from/pertaining to the aśvattha tree
• अश्वत्थवृक्षजम्: Visheshana (विशेषण of नाम)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अश्वत्थ + वृक्ष + ज (प्रातिपदिक); components: अश्वत्थ(अश्वत्थ) + वृक्ष(वृक्ष) + ज(ज)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (अश्वत्थवृक्षात् जातम्)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; not explicit in snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devotees seated near the Aśvattha sing its name in chorus; waves of sound are visualized as luminous patterns that dispel dark clouds symbolizing disease and sin.

Characters & Entities

• Aśvattha/Pippala
• Nāma-kīrtana

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even nāma-kīrtana—praising or uttering the sacred name—has transformative power, signaling that devotion need not be elaborate to be effective.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Aśvattha is exalted as a sacred presence; the verse focuses on the tree’s sanctity rather than a named geographic tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Kīrtana/japa of the Aśvattha’s name as a purificatory practice.