Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 22

Devanagari script

ममाश्रयाणि तान्येव सर्वपापहराणि च । कामदानि वरारोहे मत्प्रभावादसंशयम्

Transliteration

mamāśrayāṇi tānyeva sarvapāpaharāṇi ca | kāmadāni varārohe matprabhāvādasaṃśayam

Translation

Eben diese Tīrthas stehen unter meinem Schutz und nehmen alle Sünden hinweg. O Schönschenklige, sie gewähren die ersehnten Ziele; durch meine Macht—ohne Zweifel—ist es so.

Word by Word

• मम: my
• मम: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम)
• Form: षष्ठी एकवचन

• आश्रयाणि: refuges, resorts
• आश्रयाणि: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आश्रय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचन

• तानि: those
• तानि: Anuvritti/Pratipatti (Correlative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचन; सर्वनाम-शब्द

• एव: indeed, only
• एव: Niyama (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle; restriction/emphasis)

• सर्वपापहराणि: removers of all sins
• सर्वपापहराणि: Visheshana (Qualifier of आश्रयाणि)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व-पाप-हर (√हृ धातु; णिनि/अच्-प्रत्यय प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः—‘सर्वेषां पापानां हराणि’

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (conjunction)

• कामदानि: granting desires
• कामदानि: Visheshana (Qualifier of आश्रयाणि)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: काम-द (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः—‘कामं ददाति’

• वरारोहे: O lovely-hipped one
• वरारोहे: Sambodhana (Vocative/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर-आरोह (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे सम्बोधन एकवचन; कर्मधारयः—‘वरः आरोहः (नितम्ब/ऊरु-प्रायः) यस्याः’

• मत्प्रभावात्: due to my power
• मत्प्रभावात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मत्-प्रभाव (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे पञ्चमी एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः—‘मम प्रभावः’

• असंशयम्: without doubt
• असंशयम्: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अ-सम्-शय (प्रातिपदिक; नञ्-समास)
• Form: अव्यय (adverbial accusative/क्रियाविशेषणरूप); नञ्-तत्पुरुषः—‘संशयः न’

Speaker

Śiva (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Aṣṭaṣaṣṭi-tīrthas (68)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī (addressed as varārohe)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A protective mantle motif: the deity’s presence envelops multiple tīrthas like a garland; pilgrims receive purification and boons as rays or streams of light emanate from the divine source.

Characters & Entities

• Devī
• Tīrthas
• Pāpa (sin)
• Kāma (desired aims)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The purifying and wish-fulfilling power of tīrthas is grounded in divine guardianship—pilgrimage is participation in that sacred power.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not a single site; the verse praises the entire set of tīrthas as sin-destroying and boon-giving under Śiva’s protection.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is stated here; it establishes the doctrinal basis for tīrtha fruits (pāpa-hara, kāma-dāna).