Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

सूत उवाच । अथ रुद्राक्षमाहात्म्यं वर्णयामि समासतः । सर्वपापक्षयकरं शृण्वतां पठतामपि

Transliteration

sūta uvāca | atha rudrākṣamāhātmyaṃ varṇayāmi samāsataḥ | sarvapāpakṣayakaraṃ śṛṇvatāṃ paṭhatāmapi

Translation

Sūta said: Now I shall describe, in brief, the greatness of Rudrākṣa—an account that brings about the destruction of all sins for those who hear it and even for those who recite it.

Word by Word

• sūtaḥ: Sūta
• sūtaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sūta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriyā (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• atha: then/now
• atha: Sambandha (Discourse marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुक्रम/आरम्भबोधक (sequencing particle)

• rudrākṣa-māhātmyam: the greatness of Rudrākṣa
• rudrākṣa-māhātmyam: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rudrākṣa (प्रातिपदिक) + māhātmya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (रुद्राक्षस्य माहात्म्यम्)

• varṇayāmi: I describe
• varṇayāmi: Kriyā (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: varṇ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), परस्मैपद, उत्तमपुरुष (1st), एकवचन

• samāsataḥ: briefly/in summary
• samāsataḥ: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: samāsatas (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• sarva-pāpa-kṣaya-karam: causing the destruction of all sins
• sarva-pāpa-kṣaya-karam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक) + pāpa (प्रातिपदिक) + kṣaya (प्रातिपदिक) + kara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुष (सर्वपापानां क्षयकरम्) used adjectivally

• śṛṇvatām: of listeners
• śṛṇvatām: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Verb
• Root: śru (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्यय (present active participle), षष्ठी (6), बहुवचन; ‘of those who are listening’

• paṭhatām: of reciters/readers
• paṭhatām: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Verb
• Root: paṭh (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्यय (present active participle), षष्ठी (6), बहुवचन; ‘of those who are reading/reciting’

• api: also/even
• api: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अपि-निपात (inclusion/emphasis)

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Rudrākṣa (as sacred object)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis in Naimiṣāraṇya (frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sūta begins the rudrākṣa-māhātmya: a sage on a vyāsāsana addressing an assembly; rudrākṣa beads displayed on a cloth; a subtle aura of Śiva behind the narration.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Rudrākṣa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic māhātmyas are presented as transformative: simply hearing or reciting them is portrayed as a purifier that diminishes sin.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is specified; the focus is on the sacred object Rudrākṣa and its dhārmic-spiritual efficacy.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Śravaṇa (listening) and pāṭha (recitation/reading) of the Rudrākṣa Māhātmya.