Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 60

Devanagari script

एवंविधान्यनेकानि चरितानि महात्मनः । महेशस्य च भो विप्राः पापहारीणि श्रृण्वताम्

Transliteration

evaṃvidhānyanekāni caritāni mahātmanaḥ | maheśasya ca bho viprāḥ pāpahārīṇi śrṛṇvatām

Translation

ഹേ വിപ്രന്മാരേ! മഹാത്മാവായ മഹേശന്റെ ഇത്തരത്തിലുള്ള അനവധി ചരിതങ്ങൾ ഉണ്ട്; ഇവ ശ്രവിക്കുന്നവരുടെ പാപങ്ങൾ ഹരിക്കപ്പെടുന്നു.

Word by Word

• एवंविधानि: of such kinds
• एवंविधानि: Karman (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एवं (अव्यय) + विध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष: एवंविधानि (of such kind); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन; विशेषण (चरितानि)

• अनेकानि: many
• अनेकानि: Karman (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनेक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन; विशेषण (चरितानि)

• चरितानि: deeds; exploits
• चरितानि: Karman (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चरित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; चर् + क्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त-निष्पन्न नाम; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• महात्मनः: of the great-souled one
• महात्मनः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महात्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

• महेशस्य: of Maheśa (Śiva)
• महेशस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महेश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha/Avyaya (सम्बन्ध/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• भो: O!
• भो: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भो (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्बोधन-निपात (vocative particle)

• विप्राः: O brāhmaṇas
• विप्राः: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, सम्बोधन/प्रथमा (Vocative/Nominative), बहुवचन

• पापहारीणि: sin-removing
• पापहारीणि: Karman (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक) + हारिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष: पापं हरन्ति इति; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन; विशेषण (चरितानि)

• शृण्वताम्: listen (you all)
• शृण्वताम्: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपदम्

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra-kṣetra (māhātmya-śravaṇa)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: viprāḥ (brāhmaṇas)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sage-narrator addresses assembled brāhmaṇas, emphasizing that hearing Maheśa’s many deeds removes sin; listeners sit attentive in a forest-āśrama or tīrtha rest-house setting.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva (Maheśa)
• Vipras (brāhmaṇas)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śravaṇa (devotional listening) to Śiva’s sacred narratives is itself a purifying dharma that destroys sin.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kedārakhaṇḍa framework points to Kedārakṣetra; the verse stresses the general fruit of hearing rather than a particular spot.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The implied practice is śravaṇa—listening attentively to Śiva’s carita as a purificatory observance.