Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 61

Devanagari script

एवमत्यद्भुताकाराच्छिवमाहात्म्यकीर्त्तनात् । पौराणां संभ्रमाच्चैव सा रात्रिः क्षणतामगात्

Transliteration

evamatyadbhutākārācchivamāhātmyakīrttanāt | paurāṇāṃ saṃbhramāccaiva sā rātriḥ kṣaṇatāmagāt

Translation

Thus, through that most wondrous spectacle, through the proclamation of Śiva’s greatness, and through the townspeople’s excited astonishment, the night passed as though it were but a moment.

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Avyaya (Particle/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; प्रकारवाचक-अव्ययम् (adverb: ‘thus’)

• अति-अद्भुत-आकारात्: from (its) exceedingly wondrous form
• अति-अद्भुत-आकारात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अति (अव्यय) + अद्भुत (प्रातिपदिक) + आकार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमासः; पुल्लिङ्गः, पञ्चमी (5th/ablative), एकवचनम्; हेत्वर्थे (ablative of cause)

• शिव-माहात्म्य-कीर्तनात्: from the narration of Śiva’s greatness
• शिव-माहात्म्य-कीर्तनात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक) + माहात्म्य (प्रातिपदिक) + कीर्तन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमासः; नपुंसकलिङ्गः, पञ्चमी (5th/ablative), एकवचनम्; हेत्वर्थे

• पौराणाम्: of the townspeople
• पौराणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पौर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्गः, षष्ठी (6th/genitive), बहुवचनम्

• संभ्रमात्: from excitement, agitation
• संभ्रमात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संभ्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्गः, पञ्चमी (5th/ablative), एकवचनम्; हेत्वर्थे

• च: and
• च: Avyaya (Particle/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्ययम् (conjunction)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Avyaya (Particle/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चय/अवधारणार्थक-अव्ययम् (particle: ‘indeed/just’)

• सा: that
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गः, प्रथमा (1st/nominative), एकवचनम्

• रात्रिः: night
• रात्रिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रात्रि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गः, प्रथमा (1st/nominative), एकवचनम्

• क्षण-ताम्: momentariness (as if a moment)
• क्षण-ताम्: Gati (Result state/गति-फल)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षण (प्रातिपदिक) + ता (प्रत्यय; भाववाचक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गः, द्वितीया (2nd/accusative), एकवचनम्; ‘क्षणता’ = क्षणत्वम्

• अगात्: became, went (to)
• अगात्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: लुङ्-लकारः (Aorist), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd person), एकवचनम्

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A town awake at night: lamps, gathered crowds, singers proclaiming Śiva’s greatness; faces bright with excitement as the night seems to vanish.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Citizens (paurāḥ)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kīrtana of Śiva’s māhātmya transforms collective consciousness; devotion makes worldly time feel insignificant.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Mahākāla-centered sacred city (Ujjayinī/Ujjain) where citizens gather around Śiva’s manifestation.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicitly, māhātmya-kīrtana (recitation/praise) as a devotional practice; no formal rite is detailed.