Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 96

Devanagari script

यश्चैतच्छृणुयान्नित्यं श्रद्धया परया युतः । स मुच्येत्पातकात्सद्यः परदारसमुद्भवात्

Transliteration

yaścaitacchṛṇuyānnityaṃ śraddhayā parayā yutaḥ | sa mucyetpātakātsadyaḥ paradārasamudbhavāt

Translation

Wer dies täglich hört, erfüllt von höchster Glaubenskraft, wird sogleich von der Sünde befreit, die aus dem Umgang mit der Gattin eines anderen entspringt.

Word by Word

• यः: who (he who)
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक सर्वनाम

• च: and
• च: Avyaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

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

• शृणुयात्: should hear
• शृणुयात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √श्रु (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष? (actually 3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• नित्यम्: always
• नित्यम्: Avyaya (Adverb/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावेन क्रियाविशेषणरूपेण (adverbial accusative)

• श्रद्धया: with faith
• श्रद्धया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रद्धा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन

• परया: supreme/great
• परया: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; ‘श्रद्धया’ इति विशेषणम्

• युतः: endowed (with)
• युतः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: युत (कृदन्त; √युज् धातु, क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• मुच्येत्: would be freed
• मुच्येत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √मुच् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• पातकात्: from sin
• पातकात्: Apadana (Ablative source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पातक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), एकवचन

• सद्यः: immediately
• सद्यः: Avyaya (Adverb/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सद्यः (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (adverb of time)

• पर-दार-समुद्भवात्: arising from another’s wife (adultery)
• पर-दार-समुद्भवात्: Hetu/Apadana (Cause/Source)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक) + दार (प्रातिपदिक) + समुद्भव (प्रातिपदिक; सम्+उद्+√भू धातु से)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (परदारात् समुद्भवः)

Speaker

Purāṇic narrator stating the phalaśruti (benefit of hearing)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra (māhātmya-śravaṇa)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis/śrotṛ-gaṇa (implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee sits in a temple mandapa listening daily to the māhātmya; the atmosphere is penitential yet peaceful, with the Śiva-liṅga in the background symbolizing absolution through sincere hearing.

Characters & Entities

• Śraddhā
• Phalaśruti

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Faithful listening to sacred māhātmya purifies grave moral faults and reinforces dharmic conduct.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The māhātmya being recited pertains to the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra tīrthas (Gautameśvara, Ahilyeśvara, etc.).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Nitya-śravaṇa: hearing/recitation of this account daily with supreme faith.