Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 61

Devanagari script

एवमत्यद्भुताकाराच्छिवमाहात्म्यकीर्त्तनात् । पौराणां संभ्रमाच्चैव सा रात्रिः क्षणतामगात्

Transliteration

evamatyadbhutākārācchivamāhātmyakīrttanāt | paurāṇāṃ saṃbhramāccaiva sā rātriḥ kṣaṇatāmagāt

Translation

ഇങ്ങനെ അത്യദ്ഭുതമായ ദർശനത്താലും, ശിവമാഹാത്മ്യകീർത്തനത്താലും, നഗരജനങ്ങളുടെ ഉത്സുക വിസ്മയത്താലും ആ രാത്രി ക്ഷണത്തിൽ കഴിഞ്ഞുപോയതുപോലെ തോന്നി।

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Avyaya (Particle/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; प्रकारवाचक-अव्ययम् (adverb: ‘thus’)

• अति-अद्भुत-आकारात्: from (its) exceedingly wondrous form
• अति-अद्भुत-आकारात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अति (अव्यय) + अद्भुत (प्रातिपदिक) + आकार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमासः; पुल्लिङ्गः, पञ्चमी (5th/ablative), एकवचनम्; हेत्वर्थे (ablative of cause)

• शिव-माहात्म्य-कीर्तनात्: from the narration of Śiva’s greatness
• शिव-माहात्म्य-कीर्तनात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक) + माहात्म्य (प्रातिपदिक) + कीर्तन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमासः; नपुंसकलिङ्गः, पञ्चमी (5th/ablative), एकवचनम्; हेत्वर्थे

• पौराणाम्: of the townspeople
• पौराणाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पौर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्गः, षष्ठी (6th/genitive), बहुवचनम्

• संभ्रमात्: from excitement, agitation
• संभ्रमात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संभ्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्गः, पञ्चमी (5th/ablative), एकवचनम्; हेत्वर्थे

• च: and
• च: Avyaya (Particle/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्ययम् (conjunction)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Avyaya (Particle/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चय/अवधारणार्थक-अव्ययम् (particle: ‘indeed/just’)

• सा: that
• सा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गः, प्रथमा (1st/nominative), एकवचनम्

• रात्रिः: night
• रात्रिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रात्रि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गः, प्रथमा (1st/nominative), एकवचनम्

• क्षण-ताम्: momentariness (as if a moment)
• क्षण-ताम्: Gati (Result state/गति-फल)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षण (प्रातिपदिक) + ता (प्रत्यय; भाववाचक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गः, द्वितीया (2nd/accusative), एकवचनम्; ‘क्षणता’ = क्षणत्वम्

• अगात्: became, went (to)
• अगात्: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: लुङ्-लकारः (Aorist), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd person), एकवचनम्

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A town awake at night: lamps, gathered crowds, singers proclaiming Śiva’s greatness; faces bright with excitement as the night seems to vanish.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Citizens (paurāḥ)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Kīrtana of Śiva’s māhātmya transforms collective consciousness; devotion makes worldly time feel insignificant.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Mahākāla-centered sacred city (Ujjayinī/Ujjain) where citizens gather around Śiva’s manifestation.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicitly, māhātmya-kīrtana (recitation/praise) as a devotional practice; no formal rite is detailed.