Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 151

Devanagari script

एतद्वः सर्वमाख्यातमाख्यानं पापनाशनम् । कपालेश्वरदेवस्य शृण्वतां पठतां नृणाम्

Transliteration

etadvaḥ sarvamākhyātamākhyānaṃ pāpanāśanam | kapāleśvaradevasya śṛṇvatāṃ paṭhatāṃ nṛṇām

Translation

এই সকলো কথা তোমালোকক কোৱা হ’ল—শ্ৰী কপালেশ্বৰ দেৱৰ পাপ-নাশক পবিত্ৰ আখ্যানে, যি শুনা আৰু পাঠ কৰা লোকসকলৰ বাবে।

Word by Word

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

• वः: to you/for you
• वः: Sampradana/Sambandha (सम्प्रदान/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी/चतुर्थी (6th/4th Genitive/Dative), बहुवचन; एनक्लिटिक सर्वनाम

• सर्वम्: all
• सर्वम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying एतत्)

• आख्यातम्: has been narrated
• आख्यातम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ√ख्या (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मणि/भूतकृदन्त (told/declared)

• आख्यानम्: narrative/account
• आख्यानम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आख्यान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; अपादान/विशेष्य-विशेषणभावे (apposition to एतत्)

• पापनाशनम्: sin-destroying
• पापनाशनम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाप + नाशन (प्रातिपदिक; √नश्/नाश)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying आख्यानम्)

• कपालेश्वरदेवस्य: of Lord Kapāleśvara
• कपालेश्वरदेवस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कपालेश्वर + देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• शृण्वताम्: of those who listen
• शृण्वताम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √श्रु (धातु) + शतृ (कृदन्त)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; (नृणाम्) इत्यस्य विशेषण

• पठताम्: of those who recite/read
• पठताम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √पठ् (धातु) + शतृ (कृदन्त)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन; (नृणाम्) इत्यस्य विशेषण

• नृणाम्: of men/people
• नृणाम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

Speaker

Narrator

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kapāleśvara (within Hāṭakeśvara/Vātakeśvara-kṣetra complex)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Addressed to a plural audience (‘voḥ’)—disciples/pilgrims/brāhmaṇas in the frame narrative

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sage concludes the account, blessing listeners and reciters; Kapāleśvara’s presence is implied—liṅga, lamps, and attentive devotees in a tīrtha assembly.

Characters & Entities

• Kapāleśvara
• Kapālamocana (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śravaṇa (hearing) and paṭhana (recitation) of a tīrtha-māhātmya are themselves purifying acts in Purāṇic dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kapāleśvara associated with Kapālamocana tīrtha in the Vātakeśvara-kṣetra tradition.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Listening to and reciting the Kapāleśvara Māhātmya (parāyaṇa/śravaṇa) as a sin-destroying practice.