Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 118

Devanagari script

श्रुत्वाध्यायानिमान्पुण्यान्द्वादशादित्यसूचकान् । श्रावयित्वापि नो मर्त्यो दुर्गतिं याति कुत्रचित्

Transliteration

śrutvādhyāyānimānpuṇyāndvādaśādityasūcakān | śrāvayitvāpi no martyo durgatiṃ yāti kutracit

Translation

ദ്വാദശ ആദിത്യങ്ങളെ സൂചിപ്പിക്കുന്ന ഈ പുണ്യാധ്യായങ്ങൾ ശ്രവിച്ച്, മറ്റുള്ളവർക്കും ശ്രാവയിച്ചാലും, ഒരു മർത്ത്യനും എവിടെയും ദുര്‍ഗതിയിലേക്കു പോകുകയില്ല.

Word by Word

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: Kriya (पूर्वक्रिया/Adverbial action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); ‘having heard’

• अध्यायान्: chapters
• अध्यायान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अध्याय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; बहुवचन

• इमान्: these
• इमान्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; बहुवचन; सर्वनाम; विशेषण (अध्यायान्)

• पुण्यान्: meritorious, holy
• पुण्यान्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; बहुवचन; विशेषण (अध्यायान्)

• द्वादशादित्यसूचकान्: indicating the twelve Ādityas
• द्वादशादित्यसूचकान्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वादश (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + आदित्य (प्रातिपदिक) + सूचक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (‘द्वादशानाम् आदित्यानाम् सूचकाः’) विशेषण (अध्यायान्)

• श्रावयित्वा: having made (others) hear; having recited
• श्रावयित्वा: Kriya (पूर्वक्रिया/Adverbial action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु) [णिच् causative: श्रावय]
• Form: णिच्-प्रयोगे क्त्वान्त (causative gerund); ‘having caused (others) to hear/recited to others’

• अपि: even, also
• अपि: Sambandha (Concession/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अपि-कार (even/also)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation)

• मर्त्यः: a mortal
• मर्त्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मर्त्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन

• दुर्गतिम्: bad fate, misfortune
• दुर्गतिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुर् (उपसर्ग/प्रातिपदिक) + गति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (‘दुष्टा गतिः’)

• याति: goes, reaches
• याति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present); प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• कुत्रचित्: anywhere, ever
• कुत्रचित्: Sambandha (Indefinite place/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कुत्रचित् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देश/अनिश्चित-स्थानवाचक (indefinite locative adverb)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa narration typically Skanda to Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvādaśāditya (Twelve Ādityas) proclamation in Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pilgrims/devotees

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A formal recitation of the ‘Twelve Ādityas’ chapters: a reciter on a dais, listeners gathered; above them, twelve solar forms arranged in a mandala, signifying protection from durgati.

Characters & Entities

• Dvādaśa Ādityas (Twelve Suns)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred listening and transmitting (hearing and making others hear) is dharma that yields protective merit against downfall.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader Kāśī sacred framework is assumed; the verse especially glorifies the Dvādāśāditya-focused chapters connected with Kāśī’s sanctity.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Śravaṇa (hearing) and śrāvaṇa/parāyaṇa (recitation for others) of these puṇya adhyāyas.