Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 26

Devanagari script

सर्वपापहरं पार्थ दुःखदुःस्वप्ननाशनम् । पठतां शृण्वतां राजन् सर्वकामार्थसिद्धिदम्

Transliteration

sarvapāpaharaṃ pārtha duḥkhaduḥsvapnanāśanam | paṭhatāṃ śṛṇvatāṃ rājan sarvakāmārthasiddhidam

Translation

ഹേ പാർഥാ, ഇത് സർവ്വപാപഹരവും ദുഃഖവും ദുഷ്സ്വപ്നവും നശിപ്പിക്കുന്നതുമാകുന്നു. ഹേ രാജൻ, ഇതു പാരായണം ചെയ്യുന്നവർക്കും ശ്രവിക്കുന്നവർക്കും സർവ്വ അഭീഷ്ടകാമാർത്ഥസിദ്ധി നൽകുന്നു.

Word by Word

• सर्वपापहरम्: remover of all sins
• सर्वपापहरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व + पाप + हर (प्रातिपदिक; √हृ (धातु) → हर)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: सर्वेषां पापानां हरः)

• पार्थ: O son of Pṛthā (Arjuna)
• पार्थ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन विभक्ति, एकवचन

• दुःखदुःस्वप्ननाशनम्: destroyer of sorrow and bad dreams
• दुःखदुःस्वप्ननाशनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुःख + दुःस्वप्न + नाशन (प्रातिपदिक; √नश् (धातु) → नाशन)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (समासः—तत्पुरुषः: दुःखस्य दुःस्वप्नस्य च नाशनम्)

• पठताम्: of those who recite
• पठताम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पठ् (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकालिक कृदन्त (शतृ/शानच्-प्रत्ययान्त) ‘पठत्’ इति; षष्ठी विभक्ति, बहुवचन (पठतां = of those who recite)

• शृण्वताम्: of those who listen
• शृण्वताम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकालिक कृदन्त (शतृ/शानच्-प्रत्ययान्त) ‘शृण्वत्’ इति; षष्ठी विभक्ति, बहुवचन (शृण्वतां = of those who listen)

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

• सर्वकामार्थसिद्धिदम्: giver of fulfillment of all desires and aims
• सर्वकामार्थसिद्धिदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व + काम + अर्थ + सिद्धि + द (प्रातिपदिक; √दा (धातु) → द)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (समासः—तत्पुरुषः: सर्वेषां कामानां अर्थानां च सिद्धिं ददाति)

Speaker

Deductive (Revākhaṇḍa narrative voice; mixed vocatives indicate formulaic phalaśruti style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā / Narmadā

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pārtha (Arjuna); (frame) assembled ṛṣis

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A recitation setting: a sage or sūta recites Revā-māhātmya to attentive listeners; the river Revā is envisioned behind them as a luminous, purifying presence; the mood is protective and auspicious, dispelling dark dream-forms.

Characters & Entities

• Pārtha (Arjuna epithet, as vocative)
• King (nṛpa/rājan)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Engaging scripture through recitation and listening is presented as both purifying (sin-removing) and protective (ending grief and bad dreams), culminating in goal-fulfillment.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Narmadā Māhātmya tradition of Revākhaṇḍa (centered on the Narmadā sacred landscape).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Paṭhana (reading/recitation) and śravaṇa (hearing) of the text.