Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 43

Devanagari script

अधुना पापिनो मर्त्या न संति पृथिवीतले । रुद्राध्यायेन निहतं पातकानां महत्कुलम्

Transliteration

adhunā pāpino martyā na saṃti pṛthivītale | rudrādhyāyena nihataṃ pātakānāṃ mahatkulam

Translation

Ahora no quedan mortales pecadores sobre la tierra, pues por la lección de Rudra (Rudrādhyāya) ha sido abatido el gran linaje de los pecados.

Word by Word

• अधुना: now
• अधुना: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: adhunā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (कालवाचक/temporal adverb)

• पापिनः: sinners
• पापिनः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāpin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ‘sinners’

• मर्त्याः: mortals
• मर्त्याः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: martya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (प्रतिषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निषेध/negation particle)

• सन्ति: exist/are
• सन्ति: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √as (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• पृथिवीतले: on the surface of the earth
• पृथिवीतले: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pṛthivī + tala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative/अधिकरण), एकवचन; ‘पृथिव्याः तलम्’

• रुद्राध्यायेन: by the Rudra-lesson/recitation
• रुद्राध्यायेन: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rudra + adhyāya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; ‘रुद्रस्य अध्यायः’ (Rudra-chapter/recitation)

• निहतम्: destroyed
• निहतम्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ni + √han (धातु) + kta (कृत्)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘slain/destroyed’

• पातकानाम्: of sinners/evils
• पातकानाम्: Shashthi-Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pātaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन

• महत्कुलम्: the great clan
• महत्कुलम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahat + kula (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘महच्च तत् कुलम्’

Speaker

Yama (continuing to Brahmā)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A panoramic earth-scene where dark, smoky personifications of sins crumble and dissolve under a rain of luminous syllables (akṣara) from a Rudra-adhyāya recitation; humans appear calm and purified.

Characters & Entities

• Yama
• Brahmā
• Rudra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The text exalts Rudra-centered recitation/teaching as a powerful purifier capable of annihilating entrenched sin.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is specified; the glorification is of Rudra-adhyāya (a Shaiva sacred recitation/teaching).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Engagement with the Rudra-adhyāya—recitation, study, or devotional repetition—is implied as the purificatory act.