Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 40

Devanagari script

कूर्म उवाच । श्रृणु भूप कथां दिव्यां श्रवणात्पापनाशिनीम् । कथां सुमधुरामेतां शिवमाहात्म्यसंयुताम्

Transliteration

kūrma uvāca | śrṛṇu bhūpa kathāṃ divyāṃ śravaṇātpāpanāśinīm | kathāṃ sumadhurāmetāṃ śivamāhātmyasaṃyutām

Translation

കൂർമൻ പറഞ്ഞു—ഹേ രാജാവേ, ഈ ദിവ്യകഥ കേൾക്കുക; ഇതിന്റെ ശ്രവണമാത്രത്തിൽ പാപങ്ങൾ നശിക്കുന്നു. ഈ കഥ അതിമധുരവും ശിവമാഹാത്മ്യസമ്പന്നവുമാണ്।

Word by Word

• कूर्मः: Kūrma
• कूर्मः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कूर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• शृणु: listen
• शृणु: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• भूप: O king
• भूप: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

• कथाम्: story
• कथाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कथा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• दिव्याम्: divine
• दिव्याम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दिव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘कथाम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• श्रवणात्: from hearing, by listening
• श्रवणात्: Hetu/Apadana (Cause/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रवण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी, एकवचन; हेतौ (ablative of cause)

• पापनाशिनीम्: destroying sins
• पापनाशिनीम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक) + नाशिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘पापं नाशयति’ इति (upapada-tatpurusha/कर्मधारय-सदृश) ‘कथाम्’ प्रति

• कथाम्: the story
• कथाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कथा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; पुनरुक्त्या विशेषणसमुच्चयः

• सुमधुराम्: very sweet, delightful
• सुमधुराम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + मधुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘अतिशयेन मधुरा’ ‘कथाम्’ प्रति

• एताम्: this
• एताम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘कथाम्’ प्रति

• शिवमाहात्म्यसंयुताम्: connected with Śiva’s glory
• शिवमाहात्म्यसंयुताम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक) + माहात्म्य (प्रातिपदिक) + संयुत (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘शिवस्य माहात्म्येन संयुता’ (genitive-tatpurusha) ‘कथाम्’ प्रति

Speaker

Kūrma

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Bhūpati (the king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Kūrma begins a sacred discourse; the king sits attentive, the space feels like a makeshift āśrama by water, charged with devotional sweetness and promise of purification.

Characters & Entities

• Kūrma
• Śiva
• Bhūpa (King)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Listening (śravaṇa) to Śiva’s māhātmya is itself a purifying act that destroys sin and awakens devotion.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; the focus is on the general greatness of Śiva-māhātmya and the fruit of hearing it.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Śravaṇa (devout listening) is prescribed as a direct means of removing pāpa (sin).