Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 50

Devanagari script

कीर्त्तनात्पुण्यजननं सेवनान्मुक्तिदं परम् । तद्वै पश्यंति ये भक्त्या ब्रह्महा यदि मातृहा

Transliteration

kīrttanātpuṇyajananaṃ sevanānmuktidaṃ param | tadvai paśyaṃti ye bhaktyā brahmahā yadi mātṛhā

Translation

Par sa glorification en kīrtana naît le mérite ; par son service est accordée la libération suprême. Ceux qui le contemplent avec bhakti—fussent-ils coupables du meurtre d’un brahmane ou de leur mère—sont dits rachetés.

Word by Word

• कीर्तनात्: from praising/recitation
• कीर्तनात्: Apādāna (Source/cause/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कीर्तन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Ablative, Singular)

• पुण्यजननम्: producing merit
• पुण्यजननम्: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Predicate adjective/कर्तृसमानाधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक) + जनन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (पुण्यं जनयति इति) (Neuter, Nom./Acc., Singular)

• सेवनात्: from service/attendance
• सेवनात्: Apādāna (Source/cause/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सेवन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Ablative, Singular)

• मुक्तिदम्: granting liberation
• मुक्तिदम्: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Predicate adjective/कर्तृसमानाधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मुक्ति (प्रातिपदिक) + द (प्रातिपदिक; √दा)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (मुक्तिं ददाति इति) (Neuter, Nom./Acc., Singular)

• परम्: supreme
• परम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (Neuter, Nom./Acc., Singular)

• तत्: that (tīrtha/liṅga)
• तत्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Accusative, Singular)

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निश्चयार्थक/खल्वर्थक (indeclinable; emphatic particle)

• पश्यन्ति: see
• पश्यन्ति: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद (Present indicative, 3rd person plural, Parasmaipada)

• ये: those who
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Plural)

• भक्त्या: with devotion
• भक्त्या: Karaṇa (Instrument/means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Feminine, Instrumental, Singular)

• ब्रह्महा: a slayer of a Brahmin
• ब्रह्महा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्महन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular); ‘ब्रह्महन्’ शब्दस्य प्रथमा एकवचन रूपम्

• यदि: even if
• यदि: Sambandha (Condition marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; शर्तार्थक (indeclinable; conditional particle ‘if/even if’)

• मातृहा: a slayer of (one’s) mother
• मातृहा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मातृहन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular); ‘मातृहन्’ शब्दस्य प्रथमा एकवचन रूपम्

Speaker

Narrative voice (contextual Purāṇic narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Pīluyugma-tīrtha

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pilgrims singing the tīrtha’s praise; some sweeping the ghat and serving ascetics; a penitent sinner beholds the sacred place with folded hands, light washing over them.

Characters & Entities

• Kīrtana
• Mukti
• Brahmahatyā
• Mātṛhatyā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotion expressed as praise (kīrtana), service (sevā), and sacred sight (darśana) is presented as transformative—even for those burdened by severe wrongdoing.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The same Dharmāraṇya tīrtha referenced in the surrounding verses, revered for granting merit and liberation through devotion.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Kīrtana (praising), sevā (service), and bhakti-yukta darśana (devotional viewing) of the sacred presence/site.