Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 37

Devanagari script

यानि पापानि घोराणि जन्मांतरशतेषु मे । तेषां सर्वविनाशाय शिवपूजां समारभे

Transliteration

yāni pāpāni ghorāṇi janmāṃtaraśateṣu me | teṣāṃ sarvavināśāya śivapūjāṃ samārabhe

Translation

Welche schrecklichen Sünden auch immer sich mir in Hunderten früherer Geburten angesammelt haben — zu ihrer völligen Vernichtung beginne ich die Verehrung Śivas.

Word by Word

• यानि: which
• यानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; relative pronoun ‘which’

• पापानि: sins
• पापानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; N/Acc plural

• घोराणि: terrible
• घोराणि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: घोर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; agrees with पापानि

• जन्मान्तरशतेषु: in hundreds of past births
• जन्मान्तरशतेषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन्मान्तरशत (प्रातिपदिक; जन्म-अन्तर + शत)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), बहुवचन; Locative plural ‘in hundreds of other births’

• मे: my
• मे: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Genitive singular ‘of me/my’

• तेषाम्: of those (sins)
• तेषाम्: Sambandha (Reference/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Genitive plural ‘of those’

• सर्वविनाशाय: for total destruction
• सर्वविनाशाय: Sampradana (Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्वविनाश (प्रातिपदिक; सर्व + विनाश)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (सम्प्रदान/प्रयोजन), एकवचन; Dative singular ‘for complete destruction’

• शिवपूजाम्: Śiva-worship
• शिवपूजाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिवपूजा (प्रातिपदिक; शिव + पूजा)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; Accusative singular

• समारभे: I undertake
• समारभे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-रभ् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), आत्मनेपदी, उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; Present 1st sg ‘I begin/undertake’

Speaker

The worshipper (saṅkalpa-vākya within the ritual)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devotee with folded hands before Śiva-liṅga, head bowed, expression of contrition and surrender; dim shrine light, offerings ready; the moment of beginning worship framed as a plea for purification.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva-bhakti is presented as a purifying force capable of burning accumulated karmic impurities.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is named; the verse is a universal saṅkalpa for Śiva worship.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A saṅkalpa is spoken: the devotee begins Śiva pūjā with the explicit aim of destroying sins accumulated over many births.