Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 60

Devanagari script

शेषकालेऽपि यः पूजां करोत्येव सुभक्तितः । स पापं क्षालयेत्प्राज्ञ आजन्ममरणांतिकम्

Transliteration

śeṣakāle'pi yaḥ pūjāṃ karotyeva subhaktitaḥ | sa pāpaṃ kṣālayetprājña ājanmamaraṇāṃtikam

Translation

ആ കാലയളവിന് പുറത്തായാലും ആരെങ്കിലും സത്യഭക്തിയോടെ പൂജ ചെയ്യുകയാണെങ്കിൽ, ഹേ പ്രാജ്ഞന്മാരേ, അവൻ ജനനം മുതൽ മരണാന്തം വരെ ഉള്ള പാപം കഴുകിമാറ്റുന്നു.

Word by Word

• शेषकाले: at the remaining time (afterwards)
• शेषकाले: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शेष (प्रातिपदिक) + काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (शेषः कालः)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अप्यर्थ (even/also)

• यः: whoever
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• पूजाम्: worship
• पूजाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूजा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• करोति: does/performs
• करोति: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान/Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (indeed/only)

• सुभक्तितः: through good devotion
• सुभक्तितः: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सु (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (हेतु/अपादानार्थ), एकवचन; ‘-तः’ = from/through (by reason of)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• पापम्: sin
• पापम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• क्षालयेत्: should wash away/remove
• क्षालयेत्: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: क्षल् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्-लकार (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• प्राज्ञ: O wise one
• प्राज्ञ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-प्रथमा (vocative), एकवचन

• आजन्यमरणान्तिकम्: lasting until the end of life (from birth to death)
• आजन्यमरणान्तिकम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ (उपसर्ग) + जन्म (प्रातिपदिक) + मरण (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्तिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अव्ययीभाव-समास (आ + जन्म-मरण-अन्तिकम् = up to birth-and-death end, i.e., lifelong)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Himāpātodbhava-tīrtha / Śūlin-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: prājñāḥ / viprāḥ (wise ones; addressed as ‘O wise ones’)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Outside the special season, a humble devotee still comes with simple offerings; Śūlin’s presence feels compassionate; a symbolic stream of dark ‘sins’ dissolves into clear water/light around the shrine.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sincere devotion is never “out of season”; heartfelt pūjā has enduring purificatory power.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Kedāra-tīrtha context continues; the verse generalizes the merit of worship associated with that sacred setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Performing pūjā with subhakti (genuine devotion), even beyond the specified vrata period.