Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 40

Devanagari script

कूर्म उवाच । श्रृणु भूप कथां दिव्यां श्रवणात्पापनाशिनीम् । कथां सुमधुरामेतां शिवमाहात्म्यसंयुताम्

Transliteration

kūrma uvāca | śrṛṇu bhūpa kathāṃ divyāṃ śravaṇātpāpanāśinīm | kathāṃ sumadhurāmetāṃ śivamāhātmyasaṃyutām

Translation

Kūrma said: O King, listen to this divine narrative—by the very act of hearing it, sins are destroyed. This account is exceedingly sweet, and it is filled with the greatness (māhātmya) of Śiva.

Word by Word

• कूर्मः: Kūrma
• कूर्मः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कूर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• शृणु: listen
• शृणु: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• भूप: O king
• भूप: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

• कथाम्: story
• कथाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कथा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• दिव्याम्: divine
• दिव्याम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दिव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘कथाम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• श्रवणात्: from hearing, by listening
• श्रवणात्: Hetu/Apadana (Cause/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रवण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी, एकवचन; हेतौ (ablative of cause)

• पापनाशिनीम्: destroying sins
• पापनाशिनीम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक) + नाशिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘पापं नाशयति’ इति (upapada-tatpurusha/कर्मधारय-सदृश) ‘कथाम्’ प्रति

• कथाम्: the story
• कथाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कथा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; पुनरुक्त्या विशेषणसमुच्चयः

• सुमधुराम्: very sweet, delightful
• सुमधुराम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + मधुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘अतिशयेन मधुरा’ ‘कथाम्’ प्रति

• एताम्: this
• एताम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘कथाम्’ प्रति

• शिवमाहात्म्यसंयुताम्: connected with Śiva’s glory
• शिवमाहात्म्यसंयुताम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक) + माहात्म्य (प्रातिपदिक) + संयुत (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘शिवस्य माहात्म्येन संयुता’ (genitive-tatpurusha) ‘कथाम्’ प्रति

Speaker

Kūrma

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Bhūpati (the king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Kūrma begins a sacred discourse; the king sits attentive, the space feels like a makeshift āśrama by water, charged with devotional sweetness and promise of purification.

Characters & Entities

• Kūrma
• Śiva
• Bhūpa (King)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Listening (śravaṇa) to Śiva’s māhātmya is itself a purifying act that destroys sin and awakens devotion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; the focus is on the general greatness of Śiva-māhātmya and the fruit of hearing it.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Śravaṇa (devout listening) is prescribed as a direct means of removing pāpa (sin).