Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

अयने चोत्तरे प्राप्ते निर्वाणमधिगच्छति । श्रुत्वा ऽभिनंद्य माहात्म्यं मुच्यते महतो भयात्

Transliteration

ayane cottare prāpte nirvāṇamadhigacchati | śrutvā 'bhinaṃdya māhātmyaṃ mucyate mahato bhayāt

Translation

Wenn die nördliche Sonnenwende (Uttarāyaṇa) eintritt, erlangt er Befreiung. Wer dieses Māhātmya hört und es ehrfürchtig bejaht, wird von großer Furcht erlöst.

Word by Word

• अयने: in the solstice/ayana
• अयने: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अयन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (7th/locative), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction: and)

• उत्तरे: northern
• उत्तरे: Adhikarana (Qualifier of time/अधिकरण-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (northern)

• प्राप्ते: when (it) has arrived
• प्राप्ते: Adhikarana (Locative absolute/सति-सप्तमी)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्राप् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त; क्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी, एकवचन; सति-सप्तमी (locative absolute): ‘when attained/when it has come’

• निर्वाणम्: liberation, nirvāṇa
• निर्वाणम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निर्वाण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन

• अधिगच्छति: attains
• अधिगच्छति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अधि + गम् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), परस्मैपदम्; प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: Sambandha (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund); ‘having heard’

• अभिनन्द्य: having praised
• अभिनन्द्य: Sambandha (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि + नन्द् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-प्राय अव्यय (gerund); ‘having praised/approved’

• माहात्म्यम्: the greatness (glory)
• माहात्म्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माहात्म्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन

• मुच्यते: is freed
• मुच्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुच् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), आत्मनेपदम्; प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive sense): ‘is released’

• महतः: from great
• महतः: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग; पञ्चमी (5th/ablative) एकवचन; विशेषणम् (great)

• भयात्: fear
• भयात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; पञ्चमी (5th/ablative), एकवचन

Speaker

Śiva (Īśvara)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsakṣetra (general)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A winter-sun (uttarāyaṇa) rises; pilgrims sit in a semicircle listening to a reciter chanting Prabhāsa-māhātmya; a subtle aura of peace dispels shadowy forms symbolizing ‘great fear’.

Characters & Entities

• Uttarāyaṇa
• Nirvāṇa
• Prabhāsakṣetra Māhātmya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred time (uttarāyaṇa) and sacred hearing (māhātmya-śravaṇa) are both presented as vehicles for fearlessness and liberation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The promise is tied to the Prabhāsakṣetra māhātmya being heard and honored.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Māhātmya-śravaṇa (listening to the sacred glorification) and abhinaṃdana (reverent assent/praise), with emphasis on uttarāyaṇa as an auspicious time.