Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 89

Devanagari script

महापातकतुल्यानि यानि पापानि संति वै । तानि सर्वाणि नश्यंति रामनाथस्य सेवया

Transliteration

mahāpātakatulyāni yāni pāpāni saṃti vai | tāni sarvāṇi naśyaṃti rāmanāthasya sevayā

Translation

Welche Sünden es auch gibt, die den großen Todsünden (mahāpātakas) gleichkommen—sie alle werden durch den Dienst an Rāmanātha vernichtet.

Word by Word

• महापातक: great sins
• महापातक: Sambandha (Qualifier base/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा-पातक (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष/कर्मधारय-समासाधार; ‘महच्च तत् पातकम्’ (great sin)

• तुल्यानि: equal (to)
• तुल्यानि: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तुल्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन; विशेषण (equal to)

• यानि: which
• यानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), बहुवचन; सम्बन्धक (relative pronoun)

• पापानि: sins
• पापानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), बहुवचन

• सन्ति: exist; are
• सन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• वै: indeed
• वै: Avyaya (Particle/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात; अवधारण/खलु-अर्थ (indeed)

• तानि: those
• तानि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), बहुवचन

• सर्वाणि: all
• सर्वाणि: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), बहुवचन; विशेषण

• नश्यन्ति: perish; are destroyed
• नश्यन्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नश् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• रामनाथस्य: of Rāmanātha
• रामनाथस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राम-नाथ (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (Genitive), एकवचन; ‘रामस्य नाथः’

• सेवया: by service
• सेवया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सेवा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन; साधन/हेतु (by means of service)

Speaker

Narratorial voice within Setu-khaṇḍa (speaker not explicit in snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Rāmanātha (Rāmeśvara)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: King (implied continuation)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devotees perform sevā at Rāmanātha—sweeping the temple floor, carrying water for abhiṣeka, offering bilva—while symbolic chains of ‘mahāpātaka’ break and fall away.

Characters & Entities

• Rāmanātha (Rāmeśvara)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sevā (devoted service) to the kṣetra-deity is upheld as a decisive dharmic remedy that burns away even the gravest karmic stains.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Rāmanātha at Rāmasetu—Rāmeśvaram—within the Setu-khaṇḍa sacred landscape.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Sevā to Rāmanātha—practical devotion such as worship, attendance, offerings, and kṣetra-service (not itemized here).