Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

इति संक्षेपतः प्रोक्तं माहात्म्यं पापनाशनम् । देवि कंटकशोधिन्याः श्रुतं रक्षाकरं परम्

Transliteration

iti saṃkṣepataḥ proktaṃ māhātmyaṃ pāpanāśanam | devi kaṃṭakaśodhinyāḥ śrutaṃ rakṣākaraṃ param

Translation

So ist in Kürze die Sünden vernichtende Größe verkündet. O Devī, schon das Hören des höchsten Ruhmes der Kaṇṭakaśodhinī wird zur erhabensten Quelle des Schutzes.

Word by Word

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Discourse marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, वाक्यसमाप्ति/उद्धरणसूचक (quotative particle)

• संक्षेपतः: briefly
• संक्षेपतः: Sambandha (Manner/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: संक्षेप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (ablatival adverb)

• प्रोक्तम्: spoken/declared
• प्रोक्तम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-वच् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय, past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘said/declared’

• माहात्म्यम्: the greatness (glory)
• माहात्म्यम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माहात्म्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• पापनाशनम्: destroyer of sins
• पापनाशनम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पापनाशन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समास: पाप + नाशन (‘sin-destroying’), विशेषण (माहात्म्यम्)

• देवि: O Goddess
• देवि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

• कंटकशोधिन्याः: of (you) the remover of obstacles
• कंटकशोधिन्याः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कंटकशोधिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन; समास: कंटक + शोधिनी (‘remover of thorns/obstacles’)

• श्रुतम्: heard
• श्रुतम्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय, past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘heard’

• रक्षाकरम्: bringing protection
• रक्षाकरम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रक्षाकर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; समास: रक्षा + कर (‘protection-causing’), विशेषण (श्रुतम्/माहात्म्यम्)

• परम्: supreme
• परम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kaṇṭakaśodhinī (within Prabhāsa-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A concluding devotional tableau: a narrator finishes the goddess’s māhātmya; the Devī Kaṇṭakaśodhinī is envisioned as a protective presence, radiating a shield-like aura over listeners in Prabhāsa.

Characters & Entities

• Devī Kaṇṭakaśodhinī
• Devī (Pārvatī addressed)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śravaṇa (devout hearing) of sacred narratives is itself a dharmic practice that grants purification and protection.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsakṣetra, through the summarized praise of Devī Kaṇṭakaśodhinī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Hearing/reciting the māhātmya is presented as a protective, merit-producing observance.