Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

अध्यायमेकं शृणुयाच्छ्लोकं श्लोकार्धमेव वा । यः श्लोकपादं शृणुयाद्विष्णुलोकं स गच्छति

Transliteration

adhyāyamekaṃ śṛṇuyācchlokaṃ ślokārdhameva vā | yaḥ ślokapādaṃ śṛṇuyādviṣṇulokaṃ sa gacchati

Translation

Selbst wenn man nur ein einziges Kapitel, einen einzigen Śloka oder auch nur einen halben Śloka hört—wer auch nur ein Viertel eines Verses vernimmt, gelangt in die Welt Viṣṇus.

Word by Word

• अध्यायम्: a chapter
• अध्यायम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अध्याय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• एकम्: one
• एकम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Masculine, Accusative, Singular (विशेषण of अध्यायम्)

• शृणुयात्: may hear
• शृणुयात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद; Optative, 3rd person, Singular, Parasmaipada

• श्लोकम्: a verse
• श्लोकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• श्लोकार्धम्: half a verse
• श्लोकार्धम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्लोक + अर्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Neuter, Accusative, Singular; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (श्लोकस्य अर्धम्)

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

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Alternative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-निपात (disjunctive particle)

• यः: who (he who)
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Masculine, Nominative, Singular (relative pronoun)

• श्लोकपादम्: a quarter of a verse
• श्लोकपादम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्लोक + पाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Masculine, Accusative, Singular; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (श्लोकस्य पादः)

• शृणुयात्: may hear
• शृणुयात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद; Optative, 3rd person, Singular, Parasmaipada

• विष्णुलोकम्: Viṣṇu’s world
• विष्णुलोकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु + लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Masculine, Accusative, Singular; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (विष्णोः लोकः)

• स: he
• स: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Masculine, Nominative, Singular (demonstrative pronoun)

• गच्छति: goes, attains
• गच्छति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद; Present, 3rd person, Singular, Parasmaipada

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from phalaśruti)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee at the edge of a crowd catches only a quarter-verse from the reciter; above, a visionary glimpse of Viṣṇuloka—Vaikuṇṭha with Viṣṇu on Garuḍa—appears as a grace-response.

Characters & Entities

• Skanda
• Viṣṇu

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even minimal contact with sacred narration—when received with faith—has transformative salvific power.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Dvārakā is the contextual sacred geography, though the verse highlights the general potency of the Māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Śravaṇa (hearing) is emphasized, even in small portions (chapter/verse/half-verse/quarter-verse).