Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

तच्छ्रुत्वा महदाख्यानम स्माकं हृदि संस्थितम् । पापघ्नी पुण्यजननी प्राणिनां दर्शनादपि

Transliteration

tacchrutvā mahadākhyānama smākaṃ hṛdi saṃsthitam | pāpaghnī puṇyajananī prāṇināṃ darśanādapi

Translation

Ayant entendu ce grand récit sacré, il demeura gravé dans nos cœurs : elle (Sarasvatī) détruit le péché et enfante le mérite chez les êtres, ne fût-ce que par sa seule vision.

Word by Word

• तत्: that (story)
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; कर्म (Neuter, Accusative, Singular)

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (Gerund); पूर्वक्रिया (having heard)

• महत्-आख्यानम्: the great narrative
• महत्-आख्यानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक) + आख्यान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; कर्मधारयः (महद् आख्यानम्) (Neuter, Accusative, Singular)

• स्माकम्: of us
• स्माकम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम् (Genitive, Plural pronoun)

• हृदि: in the heart
• हृदि: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हृद्/हृदय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः (अधिकरण), एकवचनम् (Neuter, Locative, Singular)

• संस्थितम्: has remained / is established
• संस्थितम्: Kriyā (Predicate participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + स्था (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्तः; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्गे, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनम्; 'स्थित' अर्थे (Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular)

• पाप-घ्नी: sin-destroying
• पाप-घ्नी: Karta/Viśeṣaṇa (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक) + घ्नी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (पापं हन्ति इति) विशेषणम् (Feminine, Nominative, Singular)

• पुण्य-जननी: mother/source of merit
• पुण्य-जननी: Karta/Viśeṣaṇa (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक) + जननी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (पुण्यस्य जननी) विशेषणम् (Feminine, Nominative, Singular)

• प्राणिनाम्: of living beings
• प्राणिनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राणिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम् (Masculine, Genitive, Plural)

• दर्शनात्: from (mere) seeing
• दर्शनात्: Hetu/Apādāna (Cause/Source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दर्शन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, पञ्चमी-विभक्तिः (अपादान/हेतु), एकवचनम् (Neuter, Ablative, Singular)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Avadhāraṇa (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अपेक्षा/समुच्चयार्थक अव्ययम् (particle: 'even/also')

Speaker

Sūta (narrating; summarizing the import of the heard account)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Sarasvatī

Type: river

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and other sages

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sages, moved by a great narrative, place it in their hearts; Sarasvatī is envisioned as a luminous river-goddess whose very sight dissolves darkness—pilgrims at the bank feel immediate purification.

Characters & Entities

• Sarasvatī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Contact with the sacred—especially divine rivers—purifies: even darśana is said to destroy sin and generate puṇya.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Sarasvatī’s tīrtha in Dharmāraṇya, whose mere sight is praised as spiritually transformative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite; it emphasizes darśana and śravaṇa as potent means of acquiring merit.