Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 164

Devanagari script

एतद्वः सर्वमाख्यातमाख्यानं सर्वकामदम् । पठतां शृण्वतां चैव इहलोके परत्र च

Transliteration

etadvaḥ sarvamākhyātamākhyānaṃ sarvakāmadam | paṭhatāṃ śṛṇvatāṃ caiva ihaloke paratra ca

Translation

All dies ist euch verkündet worden—eine Erzählung, die alle Wünsche erfüllt. Denen, die sie rezitieren, und denen, die sie hören, bringt sie Frucht in dieser Welt und in der jenseitigen.

Word by Word

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• वः: to you; for you
• वः: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी/चतुर्थी (6th/4th), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम (of you/for you)

• सर्वम्: all
• सर्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणवत्

• आख्यातम्: has been narrated
• आख्यातम्: Kriya (Verbal predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ + ख्या (धातु) + क्त (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृतान्त (क्त-प्रत्यय, भूतकर्मणि), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विधेय (has been told)

• आख्यानम्: narrative; account
• आख्यानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आख्यान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• सर्वकामदम्: granting all desires
• सर्वकामदम्: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व + काम + द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (giver of all desires)

• पठताम्: of those who read/recite
• पठताम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पठ् (धातु) + शतृ (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृतान्त (शतृ-वर्तमानकृदन्त), षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन; ‘पठत्’ (of those who recite)

• शृण्वताम्: of those who listen
• शृण्वताम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रु (धातु) + शतृ (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृतान्त (शतृ-वर्तमानकृदन्त), षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन; ‘शृण्वत्’ (of those who listen)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (and)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अवधारणार्थक-निपात (indeed/just)

• इहलोके: in this world
• इहलोके: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इह + लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन; अधिकरण (in this world)

• परत्र: in the next world
• परत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: परत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, देश/कालवाचक (in the other world/afterwards)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चयार्थक-निपात

Speaker

Sūta (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Amareśvara māhātmya (episode)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sūta concludes the narrative before an assembly of sages; palm-leaf manuscripts, a sacred fire, and attentive listeners symbolize the merit of recitation and hearing across worlds.

Characters & Entities

• Ākhyāna (sacred narrative)
• Śravaṇa
• Pāṭha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Engaging with sacred geography through listening and recitation is itself a dharmic act that yields merit here and hereafter.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The preceding pīṭha/tīrtha narrative as a whole; the verse functions as a concluding phalaśruti.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Recitation (pāṭha) and hearing (śravaṇa) of the māhātmya account.