Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 39

Devanagari script

त्रिकालमेककालं वा पठतः श्रृणुयत्फलम् । कीर्तिमान्सुभगो विद्वान्सुसुखी प्रियदर्शनः

Transliteration

trikālamekakālaṃ vā paṭhataḥ śrṛṇuyatphalam | kīrtimānsubhago vidvānsusukhī priyadarśanaḥ

Translation

ഇത് ദിവസത്തിൽ മൂന്നു പ്രാവശ്യം അല്ലെങ്കിൽ ഒരിക്കൽ പോലും പാരായണം ചെയ്യുകയോ ശ്രവിക്കുകയോ ചെയ്യുന്നവന്റെ ഫലം കേൾക്കുക—അവൻ കീർത്തിമാൻ, സൗഭാഗ്യവാൻ, പണ്ഡിതൻ, അത്യന്തം സുഖി, പ്രിയദർശനൻ ആകുന്നു।

Word by Word

• त्रिकालम्: three times (a day)
• त्रिकालम्: Adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरण; time-adverb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: त्रि (संख्या) + काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्विगुसमासः; अव्ययीभाववत् क्रियाविशेषणरूपेण (adverbial usage)

• एककालम्: once (at one time)
• एककालम्: Adhikarana (time-adverb/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एक (संख्या) + काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्विगुसमासः; अव्ययीभाववत् क्रियाविशेषणरूपेण (adverbial usage)

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-निपातः (disjunctive particle)

• पठतः: of one who recites/reads
• पठतः: Sambandha (Genitive/षष्ठी; agent-related)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पठ् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपद; मध्यमपुरुषः?—न; प्रथमा/षष्ठी द्विवचन/एकवचन? (Subanta-like form) इति न; वस्तुतः ‘पठत्’ (कृदन्त) + षष्ठी एकवचन: पठतः = ‘of one who reads’; वर्तमानकाले शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्तस्य षष्ठी एकवचन (genitive singular of present active participle)

• शृणुयत्: may hear
• शृणुयत्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्

• फलम्: the result
• फलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (nom./acc. sg.)

• कीर्तिमान्: famous
• कीर्तिमान्: Karta (Subject complement/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कीर्ति (प्रातिपदिक) + मतुप् (प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; मतुपन्त-विशेषणम्

• सुभगः: fortunate, handsome
• सुभगः: Karta (Subject complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + भग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारयसमासः; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्

• विद्वान्: learned person
• विद्वान्: Karta (Subject complement)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विद् (धातु) + वस् (कृदन्त/प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; ‘विद्वस्’ (ज्ञानी) शब्दः

• सुसुखी: very happy
• सुसुखी: Karta (Subject complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु (अव्यय) + सुखिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारयसमासः; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्

• प्रियदर्शनः: pleasing to behold
• प्रियदर्शनः: Karta (Subject complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रिय (प्रातिपदिक) + दर्शन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (प्रियं दर्शनं यस्य/whose appearance is pleasing); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्

Speaker

Bhāskara (Sūrya/Āditya)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee recites before a sanctified presence; the atmosphere is auspicious, with listeners gathered, suggesting the ‘fruit’ of recitation radiating as fame, learning, and well-being.

Characters & Entities

• Phala
• Pāṭha (recitation)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Regular recitation disciplines the mind and attracts auspiciousness—fame, learning, happiness—through divine favor.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The practice is tied to the chapter’s Bhaṭṭāditya context; the emphasis here is on daily recitation rather than geography.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Recite the hymn/108 names three times daily (tri-kāla) or at least once daily (eka-kāla).