Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

ईश्वर उवाच । शृणु देवि प्रवक्ष्यामि माहात्म्यं पापनाशनम् । दैत्यसूदनदेवस्य पुरा वृत्तं महोदयम्

Transliteration

īśvara uvāca | śṛṇu devi pravakṣyāmi māhātmyaṃ pāpanāśanam | daityasūdanadevasya purā vṛttaṃ mahodayam

Translation

Īśvara dit : «Écoute, ô Déesse ; je vais proclamer la grandeur qui anéantit les péchés — l’antique récit, hautement auspicious, du dieu Daityasūdana.»

Word by Word

• ईश्वरः: the Lord
• ईश्वरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• शृणु: listen
• शृणु: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• देवि: O Goddess
• देवि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

• प्रवक्ष्यामि: I shall tell
• प्रवक्ष्यामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + वच् (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), उत्तम-पुरुष (1st person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• माहात्म्यम्: the greatness/glory
• माहात्म्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माहात्म्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• पापनाशनम्: sin-destroying
• पापनाशनम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक) + नाशन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुषार्थे विशेषण (destroyer of sin)

• दैत्यसूदनदेवस्य: of the god Daityasūdana
• दैत्यसूदनदेवस्य: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दैत्यसूदन (प्रातिपदिक) + देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular); कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष (the god named Daityasūdana)

• पुरा: formerly
• पुरा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• वृत्तम्: the event/what happened
• वृत्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृत् (धातु) → वृत्त (कृदन्त, क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past participle used substantively), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• महोदयम्: great/auspicious
• महोदयम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक) + उदय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); कर्मधारय (great + rise/event)

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (frame); Daityasūdana-māhātmya (topic)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Īśvara begins the narration: seated as a teacher, right hand in teaching gesture; Devī listens attentively. The background hints at Prabhāsa sanctity—temple silhouette, tīrtha waters—signaling that the story itself is a sacred act.

Characters & Entities

• Īśvara (Śiva)
• Devī (Pārvatī)
• Daityasūdana

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Hearing (śravaṇa) of a deity’s māhātmya is itself presented as purifying and spiritually elevating.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The surrounding chapter glorifies Prabhāsa-kṣetra; this verse introduces the Daityasūdana-focused portion of the māhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Śravaṇa: to listen attentively to the māhātmya as taught by the Lord.