Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 87

Devanagari script

सत्कथाश्रवणान्नित्यं संयाति परमां गतिम् । पुण्यक्षेत्रनिवासाच्च चित्तशुद्धिः प्रजायते

Transliteration

satkathāśravaṇānnityaṃ saṃyāti paramāṃ gatim | puṇyakṣetranivāsācca cittaśuddhiḥ prajāyate

Translation

നിത്യമായി സത്കഥ ശ്രവണം ചെയ്താൽ പരമഗതി ലഭിക്കുന്നു; പുണ്യക്ഷേത്രത്തിൽ വസിക്കുന്നതാൽ ചിത്തശുദ്ധി ജനിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• सत्कथाश्रवणात्: from hearing good discourse
• सत्कथाश्रवणात्: Hetu/Apadana (Cause/Source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत् + कथा + श्रवण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन

• नित्यम्: always
• नित्यम्: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषणरूपेण अव्ययीभूत (adverbial accusative): ‘always’

• संयाति: attains, goes to
• संयाति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + या (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• परमाम्: supreme
• परमाम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• गतिम्: state, liberation
• गतिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• पुण्यक्षेत्रनिवासात्: from residing in a holy place
• पुण्यक्षेत्रनिवासात्: Hetu/Apadana (Cause/Source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुण्य + क्षेत्र + निवास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन; ‘पुण्ये क्षेत्रे निवासः’ (dwelling in a holy place)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय

• चित्तशुद्धिः: purity of mind
• चित्तशुद्धिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चित्त + शुद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘चित्तस्य शुद्धिः’ (purity of mind)

• प्रजायते: is produced, arises
• प्रजायते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + जन् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद

Speaker

Brāhmaṇa (unnamed)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Puṇya-kṣetra (general)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim community listening to kathā in a sacred town: temple spire in background, river/ghāṭa nearby, listeners seated in rows; the atmosphere is pure and luminous, suggesting citta-śuddhi.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Regular sacred listening elevates one toward liberation, while living in a holy place purifies the mind and supports spiritual practice.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse speaks generally of puṇya-kṣetras (holy regions) without naming a specific tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Two practices are recommended: sat-kathā-śravaṇa (regular listening) and puṇya-kṣetra-nivāsa (residing in a sacred place).