Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 34

Devanagari script

श्रुतो हरति पापं च जन्मादि मरणावधि । अश्वत्थसेवनं पुण्यं चातुर्मास्ये विशेषतः

Transliteration

śruto harati pāpaṃ ca janmādi maraṇāvadhi | aśvatthasevanaṃ puṇyaṃ cāturmāsye viśeṣataḥ

Translation

കേവലം ശ്രവണമാത്രം കൊണ്ടും ഇത് പാപം ഹരിക്കുന്നു—ജനനം മുതൽ മരണം വരെ. അശ്വത്ഥസേവ പുണ്യകരമാണ്, പ്രത്യേകിച്ച് ചാതുർമാസ്യത്തിൽ.

Word by Word

• श्रुतः: heard/recited (one)
• श्रुतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रुत (कृदन्त; √श्रु धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle)

• हरति: removes
• हरति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √हृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

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

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• जन्मादि: (the span) beginning with birth
• जन्मादि: Adhikarana (Scope/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन्मन् + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (आदि-समास: 'beginning with birth')

• मरणावधि: up to death
• मरणावधि: Adhikarana (Scope/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मरण + अवधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष ('up to death')

• अश्वत्थसेवनम्: service/worship of the aśvattha tree
• अश्वत्थसेवनम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्वत्थ + सेवन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष ('service of the aśvattha tree')

• पुण्यम्: meritorious
• पुण्यम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (predicate adjective)

• चातुर्मास्ये: in the Cāturmāsya period
• चातुर्मास्ये: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चातुर्मास्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

• विशेषतः: especially
• विशेषतः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विशेषतः (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (adverb)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; not explicit in snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Aśvattha-sevā

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A small assembly listens to a reciter under a vast Aśvattha; the monsoon sky suggests Cāturmāsya; sin-symbols (dark motes) lift away as the words are heard.

Characters & Entities

• Aśvattha
• Cāturmāsya
• Śravaṇa (hearing)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śravaṇa (devout listening) and sevā (service) are both dhārmic paths; even hearing sacred praise is credited with deep purification.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Aśvattha is glorified as a sanctified locus; the verse emphasizes time-sacrality (Cāturmāsya) more than a named location.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Aśvattha-sevanā, with special emphasis on undertaking it during Cāturmāsya.