Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 35

Devanagari script

एतद्धारोद्भवं योऽत्र वृत्तांतं कीर्तयिष्यति । शृणुयाद्वा द्विजश्रेष्ठा मुच्येत्पापाद्दिनोद्भवात्

Transliteration

etaddhārodbhavaṃ yo'tra vṛttāṃtaṃ kīrtayiṣyati | śṛṇuyādvā dvijaśreṣṭhā mucyetpāpāddinodbhavāt

Translation

Ô le meilleur des deux-fois-nés : quiconque, ici, récite ce récit de l’origine de Dhārā — ou même l’écoute — est délivré des péchés qui naissent jour après jour.

Word by Word

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying ‘वृत्तान्तम्’)

• धारोद्भवम्: arising from Dhārā
• धारोद्भवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धारा + उद्भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (धारायाः उद्भवः = arising from Dhārā), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying ‘वृत्तान्तम्’)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (here)

• वृत्तान्तम्: account/narrative
• वृत्तान्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृत्तान्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• कीर्तयिष्यति: will narrate/proclaim
• कीर्तयिष्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कीर्तय् (धातु; नामधातु from कीर्ति)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• शृणुयात्: may hear
• शृणुयात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; विधि/सम्भावना (may hear)

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-अव्यय (disjunctive particle: or)

• द्विजश्रेष्ठः: O best of the twice-born
• द्विजश्रेष्ठः: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज + श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (द्विजानां श्रेष्ठः), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सम्बोधनार्थे प्रयोगः (vocative sense)

• मुच्येत्: may be released
• मुच्येत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुच् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि/आत्मनेपद-प्रयोग (may be freed)

• पापात्: from sin
• पापात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (or पुंलिङ्ग-प्रयोग), पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन

• दिनोद्भवात्: arising during the day
• दिनोद्भवात्: Hetu/Apadana (Cause/Source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिन + उद्भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (दिनात् उद्भवः = arising from the day), पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी, एकवचन; हेत्वर्थे (as cause/source)

Speaker

Sūta (deduced from Nāgara-khaṇḍa narrative frame; immediate speaker not explicit in this verse)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dhārā-tīrtha / Dhārādevī-māhātmya locus

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Dvāija-śreṣṭhas / sages

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A small assembly of brāhmaṇas and pilgrims seated near a shrine or tīrtha-bank; a reciter chants the Dhārā origin story while listeners receive the merit, depicted as a cleansing light washing away dark stains.

Characters & Entities

• Dhārā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śravaṇa (listening) and kīrtana (recitation) of a tīrtha’s māhātmya are themselves purifying acts that destroy recurring daily sins.

Which specific holy site (Tīrtha) is glorified here?

The Dhārā-related sacred locale within the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra Māhātmya (Nāgara Khaṇḍa), celebrated through its origin narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Reciting (pāṭha/kīrtana) or listening (śravaṇa) to the origin account of Dhārā as a purificatory religious practice.