Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

यथा प्रदीपे ज्वलिते प्रणश्यति महत्तमः । तथा हरेः कथायां च याति पापमनेकधा

Transliteration

yathā pradīpe jvalite praṇaśyati mahattamaḥ | tathā hareḥ kathāyāṃ ca yāti pāpamanekadhā

Translation

ដូចជាភាពងងឹតដ៏ធំរលាយបាត់ នៅពេលចង្កៀងត្រូវបានបំភ្លឺ ដូច្នោះដែរ ក្នុងការស្តាប់និងពោលពាក្យអំពីហរិ បាបក៏ចាកចេញទៅជាច្រើនរបៀប។

Word by Word

• यथा: just as
• यथा: Sambandha (Correlative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमानार्थक-सम्बन्धबोधक (correlative adverb: 'as/just as')

• प्रदीपे: in a lamp
• प्रदीपे: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pradīpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• ज्वलिते: when (it is) burning/lit
• ज्वलिते: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: jval (धातु) + jvalita (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त); पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; 'प्रदीपे' इति विशेषण (when lit)

• प्रणश्यति: perishes, is destroyed
• प्रणश्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√naś (नश् धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present); प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• महत्तमः: great darkness
• महत्तमः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahattama (प्रातिपदिक; तमप्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/कर्ता), एकवचन

• तथा: so, likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (Correlative/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तदनुरूपार्थक (correlative adverb: 'so/likewise')

• हरेः: of Hari
• हरेः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hari (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• कथायाम्: in the story/discourse
• कथायाम्: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kathā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय-बोधक (conjunction)

• याति: goes away, is removed
• याति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √yā (या धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present); प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• पापम्: sin
• पापम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom./Acc.), एकवचन; अत्र कर्मरूपेण (object)

• अनेकधा: in many ways
• अनेकधा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: anekadhā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: 'in many ways')

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A lamp is lit in a dark shrine-hall; shadows flee as devotees listen to a storyteller reciting Hari-kathā; sin is allegorized as dark figures dissolving into light.

Characters & Entities

• Hari (Viṣṇu)
• Kathā (sacred discourse)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotional listening and speaking of Hari’s kathā is a direct purifier that dispels sin as light dispels darkness.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No named tīrtha; the verse emphasizes the universal efficacy of Hari-kathā.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Engage in Hari-kathā (hearing/reciting sacred narratives), especially apt for vrata seasons like Cāturmāsya.