Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

पुराणश्रवणाच्छंभोर्नास्ति संकीर्तनं परम् । अत एव मनुष्याणां कल्पद्रुममहाफलम्

Transliteration

purāṇaśravaṇācchaṃbhornāsti saṃkīrtanaṃ param | ata eva manuṣyāṇāṃ kalpadrumamahāphalam

Translation

ശംഭുവിന് (ശിവന്) പുരാണശ്രവണംക്കാൾ ഉന്നതമായ സംകീർത്തനം ഇല്ല; അതുകൊണ്ട് അത് മനുഷ്യർക്കു കല്പവൃക്ഷത്തിന്റെ മഹാഫലംപോലെ ഫലദായകമാണ്।

Word by Word

• पुराण-श्रवणात्: from hearing the Purāṇa
• पुराण-श्रवणात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुराण (प्रातिपदिक) + श्रवण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Neuter, Ablative, Singular

• शम्भोः: of Śambhu (Śiva)
• शम्भोः: Sambandha (Possessor/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शम्भु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात

• अस्ति: is/exists
• अस्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; Present Indicative, 3rd singular

• संकीर्तनम्: kīrtana/chanting, glorification
• संकीर्तनम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संकीर्तन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• परम्: supreme
• परम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Neuter, Nominative, Singular; विशेषण (संकीर्तनम्)

• अतः: therefore
• अतः: Sambandha (Causal/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अतः (अव्यय)
• Form: हेतुवाचक-अव्यय; ‘therefore/from this’

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-निपात; emphatic particle

• मनुष्याणाम्: of humans
• मनुष्याणाम्: Sambandha (Possessor/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनुष्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• कल्पद्रुम-महाफलम्: a great wish-fulfilling fruit (like a kalpadruma)
• कल्पद्रुम-महाफलम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कल्पद्रुम (प्रातिपदिक) + महा (प्रातिपदिक) + फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुपद-कर्मधारय (कल्पद्रुमवत् महत् फलम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Neuter, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

Bādarāyaṇa (Vyāsa) / Purāṇic narrator voice (contextual)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva (Śambhu) seated in serene form, subtly blessing a group listening to Purāṇa; a celestial kalpavṛkṣa appears behind, showering symbolic fruits of merit.

Characters & Entities

• Śambhu (Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Listening to Purāṇic discourse is portrayed as the highest glorification of Śiva and a wish-fulfilling source of merit for humans.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single site is named; the verse glorifies devotion to Śiva through Purāṇa-śravaṇa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Engage in Purāṇa-śravaṇa as a form of saṅkīrtana (praise) of Śiva.