Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

सूत उवाच । अथ रुद्राक्षमाहात्म्यं वर्णयामि समासतः । सर्वपापक्षयकरं शृण्वतां पठतामपि

Transliteration

sūta uvāca | atha rudrākṣamāhātmyaṃ varṇayāmi samāsataḥ | sarvapāpakṣayakaraṃ śṛṇvatāṃ paṭhatāmapi

Translation

സൂതൻ പറഞ്ഞു—ഇപ്പോൾ ഞാൻ സംക്ഷിപ്തമായി രുദ്രാക്ഷ മഹാത്മ്യം വർണ്ണിക്കുന്നു. ഇത് കേൾക്കുന്നവർക്കും പാരായണം ചെയ്യുന്നവർക്കും പോലും സർവ്വപാപക്ഷയം വരുത്തുന്നതാണ്.

Word by Word

• sūtaḥ: Sūta
• sūtaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sūta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriyā (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• atha: then/now
• atha: Sambandha (Discourse marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुक्रम/आरम्भबोधक (sequencing particle)

• rudrākṣa-māhātmyam: the greatness of Rudrākṣa
• rudrākṣa-māhātmyam: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rudrākṣa (प्रातिपदिक) + māhātmya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (रुद्राक्षस्य माहात्म्यम्)

• varṇayāmi: I describe
• varṇayāmi: Kriyā (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: varṇ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), परस्मैपद, उत्तमपुरुष (1st), एकवचन

• samāsataḥ: briefly/in summary
• samāsataḥ: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: samāsatas (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• sarva-pāpa-kṣaya-karam: causing the destruction of all sins
• sarva-pāpa-kṣaya-karam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक) + pāpa (प्रातिपदिक) + kṣaya (प्रातिपदिक) + kara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुष (सर्वपापानां क्षयकरम्) used adjectivally

• śṛṇvatām: of listeners
• śṛṇvatām: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Verb
• Root: śru (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्यय (present active participle), षष्ठी (6), बहुवचन; ‘of those who are listening’

• paṭhatām: of reciters/readers
• paṭhatām: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Verb
• Root: paṭh (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्यय (present active participle), षष्ठी (6), बहुवचन; ‘of those who are reading/reciting’

• api: also/even
• api: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अपि-निपात (inclusion/emphasis)

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Rudrākṣa (as sacred object)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis in Naimiṣāraṇya (frame)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sūta begins the rudrākṣa-māhātmya: a sage on a vyāsāsana addressing an assembly; rudrākṣa beads displayed on a cloth; a subtle aura of Śiva behind the narration.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Rudrākṣa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic māhātmyas are presented as transformative: simply hearing or reciting them is portrayed as a purifier that diminishes sin.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is specified; the focus is on the sacred object Rudrākṣa and its dhārmic-spiritual efficacy.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Śravaṇa (listening) and pāṭha (recitation/reading) of the Rudrākṣa Māhātmya.