Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 22

Devanagari script

महापातकविच्छित्त्यै शिव इत्यक्षरद्वयम् । अलं नमस्कियायुक्तो मुक्तये परिकल्पते

Transliteration

mahāpātakavicchittyai śiva ityakṣaradvayam | alaṃ namaskiyāyukto muktaye parikalpate

Translation

Um selbst die größten Sünden abzuschneiden, genügen die zwei Silben «Śi‑va»; verbunden mit ehrfürchtigem Gruß und Verneigung werden sie zum unmittelbaren Mittel zur Befreiung (mokṣa).

Word by Word

• mahāpātaka-vicchittyai: for the destruction of great sins
• mahāpātaka-vicchittyai: Sampradana (Purpose/दातिव-अर्थ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + pātaka (प्रातिपदिक) + vicchitti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; समासः—महापातकस्य विच्छित्तिः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• śivaḥ: Śiva
• śivaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• iti: thus (as)
• iti: Sambandha (Quotation marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/इति-प्रयोग-अव्यय (quotative particle)

• akṣara-dvayam: the two syllables
• akṣara-dvayam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: akṣara (प्रातिपदिक) + dvi (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; द्विगु-समासः (द्वे अक्षरे यस्य तत्)

• alam: sufficient; enough
• alam: Sambandha (Predicate particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: alam (अव्यय)
• Form: पर्याप्त्यर्थक-अव्यय (indeclinable meaning 'sufficient/adequate')

• namaskiyā-yuktaḥ: endowed with salutation (reverence)
• namaskiyā-yuktaḥ: Karta (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: namaskiyā (प्रातिपदिक) + yukta (कृदन्त; युज् धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—नमस्कियया युक्तः (तृतीया-तत्पुरुष); 'युक्त' = क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle)

• muktaye: for liberation
• muktaye: Sampradana (Purpose/दातिव-अर्थ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mukti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन

• parikalpate: is deemed/serves; is sufficient
• parikalpate: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pari + √kḷp (कॢप् धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic voice; likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa in Brāhma Khaṇḍa framing)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The syllables ‘Śi’ and ‘va’ appear as radiant seed-sounds above a devotee with folded hands; dark stains of sin dissolve into light, suggesting mahāpātaka-cutting power.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva’s name is portrayed as supremely purifying; humble devotion (namaskāra) turns remembrance into a liberating practice.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is specified in this verse; it focuses on nāma-mahātmya (the greatness of the divine Name).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Practice is simple: utter ‘Śiva’ and accompany it with namaskāra (reverent salutation).