Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 60

Devanagari script

पापं पुनासि वै यस्मात्तस्मात्पावक उच्यसे । त्वं मुखं सर्वदेवानां त्वं मुखं ब्रह्मवादिनाम्

Transliteration

pāpaṃ punāsi vai yasmāttasmātpāvaka ucyase | tvaṃ mukhaṃ sarvadevānāṃ tvaṃ mukhaṃ brahmavādinām

Translation

Weil du wahrlich die Sünde läuterst, darum wirst du «Pāvaka» (der Läuterer) genannt. Du bist der Mund aller Götter, und du bist der Mund derer, die Brahman verkünden, der vedischen Weisen.

Word by Word

• pāpam: sin, evil
• pāpam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन

• punāsi: you purify
• punāsi: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pū (पू धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन

• vai: indeed
• vai: Sambandha (Emphasis/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vai (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (emphasis/indeed)

• yasmāt: because
• yasmāt: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत्; पञ्चमी-एकवचनरूप (relative: 'because/from which reason')

• tasmāt: therefore
• tasmāt: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत्; पञ्चमी-एकवचनरूप (therefore/from that)

• pāvakaḥ: Pāvaka (the purifier; Fire)
• pāvakaḥ: Karta (Predicate nominative/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāvaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (कर्ता/प्रत्यय), एकवचन

• ucyase: are called
• ucyase: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (वच् धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), आत्मनेपद, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive: 'you are called')

• tvam: you
• tvam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा (कर्ता), एकवचन

• mukham: mouth, face
• mukham: Karta (Predicate nominative/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mukha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विधेय (predicate)

• sarva-devānām: of all the gods
• sarva-devānām: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक) + deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष (sarve devāḥ)

• tvam: you
• tvam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा (कर्ता), एकवचन

• mukham: mouth, face
• mukham: Karta (Predicate nominative/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mukha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विधेय (predicate)

• brahma-vādinām: of the Brahman-speakers (Vedic reciters)
• brahma-vādinām: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठī)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman (प्रातिपदिक) + vādin (वद् धातु, णिनि-प्रत्यय; कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष (brahma vādin = one who speaks of Brahman/Veda)

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Pāvaka (Agni as purifier)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Agni blazes as a radiant ‘mouth’ receiving offerings; gods are envisioned above the flames, while Vedic sages chant—Agni stands between humans and the divine, burning sin.

Characters & Entities

• Agni (Pāvaka)
• Devas
• Brahmavādins

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Fire is portrayed as the divine purifier and the sacred conduit through which offerings and prayers reach the gods.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is named; the teaching is pan-Indic and applies wherever yajña and sacred fire are maintained.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It provides a praise-formula for Agni to be used during rites emphasizing purification and correct offering.