Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

एतं दुःशीलजं यस्तु पठेदाख्यानमुत्तमम् । स सर्वैर्मुच्यते पापैरज्ञानविहितैर्नृप

Transliteration

etaṃ duḥśīlajaṃ yastu paṭhedākhyānamuttamam | sa sarvairmucyate pāpairajñānavihitairnṛpa

Translation

Mais quiconque récite ce récit excellent né de l’histoire de l’homme à la mauvaise conduite—ô roi—est délivré de tous les péchés commis par ignorance.

Word by Word

• etam: this
• etam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुं/नपुंसक, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• duḥśīla-jam: born from/connected with the wicked man
• duḥśīla-jam: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: duḥśīla (प्रातिपदिक) + ja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (दुःशीलात् जातम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (आख्यानम्)

• yaḥ: who
• yaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• tu: indeed
• tu: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विशेष/विरोधार्थक-निपात

• paṭhet: should read
• paṭhet: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √paṭh (पठ् धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• ākhyānam: narrative, story
• ākhyānam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ākhyāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• uttamam: excellent
• uttamam: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: uttama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (ākhyānam)

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• sarvaiḥ: by all
• sarvaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया, बहुवचन; विशेषण (pāpaiḥ)

• mucyate: is freed
• mucyate: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √muc (मुच् धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि/भावे प्रयोगः (is freed)

• pāpaiḥ: from sins
• pāpaiḥ: Apadana (Separation/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• ajñāna-vihitaiḥ: committed due to ignorance
• ajñāna-vihitaiḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ajñāna (प्रातिपदिक) + vihita (√dhā/√vidhā?; विहित = √dhā with vi-?; established/ordained)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (अज्ञानेन विहितैः); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; विशेषण (pāpaiḥ)

• nṛpa: O king
• nṛpa: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nṛpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator addressing a king (nṛpa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra (as the māhātmya being recited)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: O king (nṛpa) addressed; also sages in the outer frame

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sage or narrator recites the ‘uttamākhyāna’ to a seated king; palm-leaf manuscript or rosary in hand; listeners attentive; subtle aura indicating purification as words flow.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic listening/recitation is presented as a purifier, especially for faults rooted in ignorance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The phalaśruti belongs to the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra māhātmya narrative cycle within Nāgarakhaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Recitation/reading (paṭhana) of the ākhyāna is recommended as a meritorious practice.