Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

महापातकिनः प्रोक्ता उपपातकिनश्च ये । रुद्राध्यायजपात्सद्यस्तेऽपि यांति परां गतिम्

Transliteration

mahāpātakinaḥ proktā upapātakinaśca ye | rudrādhyāyajapātsadyaste'pi yāṃti parāṃ gatim

Translation

大罪人と説かれる者も、また小罪を犯す者も—ルドラ・アドヒヤーヤを誦することにより、彼らもまた速やかに最高の境地へ至る。

Word by Word

• महापातकिनः: great sinners
• महापातकिनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महापातकिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः: ‘महापातकं यस्य/येन’ (one guilty of great sin)

• प्रोक्ताः: are called/said
• प्रोक्ताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + वच् (धातु) → प्रोक्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगे ‘said/called’

• उपपातकिनः: minor sinners
• उपपातकिनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपपातकिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः: ‘उपपातकं यस्य/येन’ (one guilty of minor sin)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय (conjunction)

• ये: who/those who
• ये: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक (relative pronoun)

• रुद्राध्यायजपात्: from/by (the power of) recitation of the Rudra-chapter
• रुद्राध्यायजपात्: Apadana (Ablative/source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुद्र + अध्याय + जप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष-समासः; अपादान (source/cause)

• सद्यः: immediately
• सद्यः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सद्यः (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• अपि: even/also
• अपि: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle: also/even)

• यान्ति: go/attain
• यान्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन

• पराम्: supreme
• पराम्: Visheshana (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण

• गतिम्: state/goal/destination
• गतिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

Speaker

Brahmā (deduced from Brahmottarakhaṇḍa context; speaker not explicit in the snippet)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A remorseful sinner approaches a Śiva shrine; as Rudrādhyāya is chanted, dark stains (symbolic pāpa) dissolve into light; Śiva’s benign presence grants uplift toward a radiant summit.

Characters & Entities

• Rudra
• Śiva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva’s sacred recitation is portrayed as a powerful purifier that can elevate even those burdened by grave wrongdoing.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No particular sacred place is specified; the verse emphasizes the trans-local efficacy of Rudrādhyāya-japa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Rudrādhyāya-japa is recommended as a swift means of purification and upliftment.