Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 34

Devanagari script

श्रुतो हरति पापं च जन्मादि मरणावधि । अश्वत्थसेवनं पुण्यं चातुर्मास्ये विशेषतः

Transliteration

śruto harati pāpaṃ ca janmādi maraṇāvadhi | aśvatthasevanaṃ puṇyaṃ cāturmāsye viśeṣataḥ

Translation

Aun con solo oír hablar de ello, se elimina el pecado, desde el nacimiento hasta la muerte. El servicio al Aśvattha es meritorio, especialmente durante el Cāturmāsya.

Word by Word

• श्रुतः: heard/recited (one)
• श्रुतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रुत (कृदन्त; √श्रु धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle)

• हरति: removes
• हरति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √हृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• पापम्: sin
• पापम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• जन्मादि: (the span) beginning with birth
• जन्मादि: Adhikarana (Scope/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन्मन् + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (आदि-समास: 'beginning with birth')

• मरणावधि: up to death
• मरणावधि: Adhikarana (Scope/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मरण + अवधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष ('up to death')

• अश्वत्थसेवनम्: service/worship of the aśvattha tree
• अश्वत्थसेवनम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्वत्थ + सेवन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष ('service of the aśvattha tree')

• पुण्यम्: meritorious
• पुण्यम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (predicate adjective)

• चातुर्मास्ये: in the Cāturmāsya period
• चातुर्मास्ये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चातुर्मास्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

• विशेषतः: especially
• विशेषतः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विशेषतः (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (adverb)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; not explicit in snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Aśvattha-sevā

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A small assembly listens to a reciter under a vast Aśvattha; the monsoon sky suggests Cāturmāsya; sin-symbols (dark motes) lift away as the words are heard.

Characters & Entities

• Aśvattha
• Cāturmāsya
• Śravaṇa (hearing)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śravaṇa (devout listening) and sevā (service) are both dhārmic paths; even hearing sacred praise is credited with deep purification.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Aśvattha is glorified as a sanctified locus; the verse emphasizes time-sacrality (Cāturmāsya) more than a named location.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Aśvattha-sevanā, with special emphasis on undertaking it during Cāturmāsya.