Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 40

Devanagari script

एतद्वः सर्वमाख्यातमाख्यानं पापनाशनम् । अचलेश्वरदेवस्य तस्मिन्क्षेत्रे निवासिनः

Transliteration

etadvaḥ sarvamākhyātamākhyānaṃ pāpanāśanam | acaleśvaradevasya tasminkṣetre nivāsinaḥ

Translation

ഇങ്ങനെ ഞാൻ നിങ്ങളോട് പാപനാശകമായ ഈ സമ്പൂർണ്ണ ആഖ്യാനം പറഞ്ഞു—ആ ക്ഷേത്രത്തിൽ വസിക്കുന്ന അചലേശ്വരദേവനെക്കുറിച്ചും (അവിടെ പാർക്കുന്നവരെക്കുറിച്ചും).

Word by Word

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma (कर्म) (object of ākhyātam)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; निर्देश-सर्वनाम

• वः: to you (all)
• वः: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: त्रिलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी/षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Dative/Genitive), बहुवचन; अत्र सम्प्रदानार्थे (to you)

• सर्वम्: all, entire
• सर्वम्: Karma (कर्म) (qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifier of एतत्)

• आख्यातम्: has been narrated
• आख्यातम्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-ख्या (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle) नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (it has been told)

• आख्यानम्: narrative, account
• आख्यानम्: Karma (कर्म) / Apposition
• Type: Noun
• Root: आख्यान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; apposition to एतत्

• पापनाशनम्: destroyer of sins
• पापनाशनम्: Qualifier (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाप-नाशन (प्रातिपदिक; घटक: पाप + नाशन)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (“sin-destroying”), विशेषण (of आख्यानम्)

• अचलेश्वरदेवस्य: of the god Acaleśvara
• अचलेश्वरदेवस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अचल-ईश्वर-देव (प्रातिपदिक; घटक: अचल + ईश्वर + देव)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन; सम्बन्ध (genitive)

• तस्मिन्: in that
• तस्मिन्: Adhikarana (अधिकरण) (qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; विशेषण (of क्षेत्रे)

• क्षेत्रे: in the sacred field/region
• क्षेत्रे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• निवासिनः: residents/dwellers
• निवासिनः: Karta (कर्ता) (implied: “(are) residents”)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नि-वस् (धातु) + इनि (कृदन्त-प्रत्यय) → निवासिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; कर्तृवाचक-नाम (agent noun: “dwellers/residents”)

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Acaleśvara kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Dvāija-sattamāḥ / Śaunaka and sages (typical Naimiṣāraṇya frame; not explicit in this verse)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sage-narrator concludes the account, addressing listeners; behind him a serene vision of Acaleśvara shrine and the peaceful kṣetra-dwellers, suggesting sin-destruction through hearing.

Characters & Entities

• Acaleśvara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Hearing and preserving tīrtha-māhātmya is itself a purifier; the story functions as pāpa-nāśana through remembrance of the kṣetra and its deity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Acaleśvara-kṣetra (the sacred region of Lord Acaleśvara), including its resident community’s sanctity.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicit śravaṇa (listening) to the māhātmya as a sin-destroying act; no detailed rite is specified.