Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 28

Devanagari script

एतत्ते कथितं राजन्देवस्य परमेष्ठिनः । कारणं दश जन्मनां सर्वपापक्षयंकरम्

Transliteration

etatte kathitaṃ rājandevasya parameṣṭhinaḥ | kāraṇaṃ daśa janmanāṃ sarvapāpakṣayaṃkaram

Translation

So, o König, habe ich dir den Grund der zehn Geburten des höchsten Herrn dargelegt—eine Erzählung, die alle Sünden vernichtet.

Word by Word

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

• ते: to you / your
• ते: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी/चतुर्थी (6th/4th), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (enclitic)

• कथितम्: has been told
• कथितम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथ् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle, क्त); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• राजन्: O king
• राजन्: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन

• देवस्य: of the god
• देवस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

• परमेष्ठिनः: of the Supreme Lord (Parameṣṭhin)
• परमेष्ठिनः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परमेष्ठिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

• कारणम्: the cause/reason
• कारणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कारण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• दश: ten
• दश: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दशन् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्यावाचक (numeral), अव्ययवत् प्रयोग; (janmanām इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)

• जन्मनाम्: of births
• जन्मनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन

• सर्वपापक्षयंकरम्: causing the destruction of all sins
• सर्वपापक्षयंकरम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + पाप (प्रातिपदिक) + क्षय (प्रातिपदिक) + कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; समासः—(सर्वेषां पापानां क्षयः) तं करोति इति (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष + उपपद-तत्पुरुष)

Speaker

Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya (contextual attribution within the Revākhaṇḍa narration)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Rājā (addressed as rājan / dharāpāla)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sage addressing a king at the close of a sacred narrative, with palm-leaf manuscript and a calm hermitage setting; the sense of completion and purification.

Characters & Entities

• Parameṣṭhin (Supreme Lord)
• rājan (king)
• daśa janma (ten incarnations)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Listening to and remembering the Lord’s avatāras is presented as purifying, strengthening faith and diminishing sin.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific location is praised in this verse; it closes a doctrinal narration within Revā Khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The implied practice is śravaṇa (devotional hearing) of the avatāra account as a purifier.