Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 60

Devanagari script

इदं पुराणं परमं पवित्रं शृण्वन्गृणन्पापविशुद्धिहेतु । नारायणं तं मनसा विचिन्त्य मृतोऽभिगच्छत्यमृतं सुराधिकम्

Transliteration

idaṃ purāṇaṃ paramaṃ pavitraṃ śṛṇvangṛṇanpāpaviśuddhihetu | nārāyaṇaṃ taṃ manasā vicintya mṛto'bhigacchatyamṛtaṃ surādhikam

Translation

This Purāṇa is supremely holy; hearing it and reciting it becomes a cause for purification from sin. Meditating in the mind on that Nārāyaṇa, one who dies attains the deathless state, higher even than the gods.

Word by Word

• idam: this
• idam: Karma-visheshaṇa (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणरूपेण

• purāṇam: Purāṇa (sacred text)
• purāṇam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: purāṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• paramam: supreme
• paramam: Karma-visheshaṇa (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: parama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण

• pavitram: pure, holy
• pavitram: Karma-visheshaṇa (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pavitra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण

• śṛṇvan: hearing (while listening)
• śṛṇvan: Karta (Agent as participle/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: śru (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्यय वर्तमानकाले कृदन्त; पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; परस्मैपदी धातु

• gṛṇan: praising/reciting
• gṛṇan: Karta (Agent as participle/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: gṛ (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्यय वर्तमानकाले कृदन्त; पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• pāpa-viśuddhi-hetu: cause of purification from sin
• pāpa-viśuddhi-hetu: Karta-visheshaṇa (Predicate noun/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāpa (प्रातिपदिक) + viśuddhi (प्रातिपदिक) + hetu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुष (पापस्य विशुद्धेः हेतुः)

• nārāyaṇam: Nārāyaṇa
• nārāyaṇam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nārāyaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• tam: him
• tam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• manasā: with the mind
• manasā: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: manas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन

• vicintya: having contemplated
• vicintya: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi-cint (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्यय (absolutive/gerund); अव्ययभाव

• mṛtaḥ: dead (having died)
• mṛtaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mṛta (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √mṛ)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्यय (past passive participle)

• abhigacchati: reaches, goes to
• abhigacchati: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: abhi-gam (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• amṛtam: immortality / the immortal state
• amṛtam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: amṛta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• surādhikam: higher than the gods
• surādhikam: Karma-visheshaṇa (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sura (प्रातिपदिक) + adhika (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (सुरेभ्यः अधिकम्)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra (chapter context)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Assembly of sages/pilgrims implied; within chapter: Nārada as listener

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim-assembly listens to a reciter chanting the Skanda Purāṇa; in the background a serene Nārāyaṇa form is contemplated inwardly, suggesting liberation beyond celestial realms.

Characters & Entities

• Purāṇa
• Nārāyaṇa
• Amṛta

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śravaṇa, kīrtana, and smaraṇa of the Lord through Purāṇic teaching purify sin and culminate in liberation beyond even heavenly attainment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse functions as a concluding phalaśruti for the chapter’s tīrtha-māhātmya, elevating the Purāṇa’s recitation as a universal purifier.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Hearing (śṛṇvan), reciting (gṛṇan), and mentally contemplating Nārāyaṇa (manasā vicintya) are prescribed as liberating practices.