Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

पापानामसदालापैरायुर्याति यथान्वहम् । तदहं कीर्तयिष्यामि तीर्थस्यास्य गुणान्बहून्

Transliteration

pāpānāmasadālāpairāyuryāti yathānvaham | tadahaṃ kīrtayiṣyāmi tīrthasyāsya guṇānbahūn

Translation

പാപികൾ അസത്യവും വ്യർത്ഥവുമായ സംഭാഷണങ്ങളാൽ ദിനംപ്രതി ആയുസ്സ് കളയുന്നതുപോലെ, ഞാൻ ഇപ്പോൾ ഈ പുണ്യ തീർത്ഥത്തിന്റെ അനേകം ഗുണങ്ങൾ കീർത്തനം ചെയ്യും.

Word by Word

• पापानाम्: of sins
• पापानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग (प्रयोगानुसार), षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन (Plural)

• असत्-आलापैः: by improper talk
• असत्-आलापैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: असत् (प्रातिपदिक) + आलाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; समासः कर्मधारयः (असत् आलापाः)

• आयुः: life-span
• आयुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आयुस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• याति: goes away / passes
• याति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• यथा: as, just as
• यथा: Avyaya (Adverbial modifier/अव्यय-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमान/प्रकारवाचक (comparative/manner)

• अन्वहम्: day by day
• अन्वहम्: Adhikarana (Time locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अन्वहम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (temporal adverb)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• कीर्तयिष्यामि: I will describe/praise
• कीर्तयिष्यामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कीर्तय् (धातु; कीर्तयति)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• तीर्थस्य: of the sacred place
• तीर्थस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• अस्य: of this
• अस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• गुणान्: qualities
• गुणान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन

• बहून्: many
• बहून्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifying गुणान्)

Speaker

Nārada

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Pārtha (Arjuna)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sage-narrator begins a tīrtha-māhātmya discourse; on one side people squander time in idle talk, on the other attentive listeners sit with folded hands as the sacred place’s virtues are proclaimed.

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• Tīrtha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Speech shapes destiny: idle talk drains life, while sacred narration (kīrtana) turns time into merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The tīrtha is referenced as “this tīrtha,” but its name is not given in the verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Kīrtana—devotional recitation/proclamation of tīrtha-māhātmya—is presented as a wholesome practice.