Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 22

Devanagari script

आजन्मशतसाहस्रं कृत्वा पापं नरः क्षितौ । रुद्रावर्तं समालोक्य विपाप्मत्वं प्रपद्यते

Transliteration

ājanmaśatasāhasraṃ kṛtvā pāpaṃ naraḥ kṣitau | rudrāvartaṃ samālokya vipāpmatvaṃ prapadyate

Translation

ഭൂമിയിൽ മനുഷ്യൻ ലക്ഷജന്മങ്ങൾ വരെ പാപം ചെയ്തിട്ടുണ്ടായാലും, രുദ്രാവർത്തം മാത്രം ദർശിച്ചാൽ അവൻ പാപമുക്തനാകുന്നു.

Word by Word

• आजन्मशतसाहस्रम्: for (up to) a hundred thousand births
• आजन्मशतसाहस्रम्: Kala (Time/Extent/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आ- (उपसर्ग) + जन्म (प्रातिपदिक) + शत (प्रातिपदिक) + साहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समासः; ‘आ’ (up to) इत्यनेन अव्ययत्वम्; अर्थः—‘आजन्म शतसाहस्रम्’ = for a hundred thousand births (extent)

• कृत्वा: having done
• कृत्वा: Kriya-viseshana (Converb/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्तः—क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त (absolutive/gerund); ‘having done/committed’

• पापम्: sin
• पापम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः; द्वितीया-विभक्तिः; एकवचनम्

• नरः: a man/person
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः; प्रथमा-विभक्तिः; एकवचनम्

• क्षितौ: on earth
• क्षितौ: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षिति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गः; सप्तमी-विभक्तिः; एकवचनम्

• रुद्रावर्तम्: Rudrāvarta
• रुद्रावर्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुद्र (प्रातिपदिक) + आवर्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समासः; पुंलिङ्गः; द्वितीया-विभक्तिः; एकवचनम्

• समालोक्य: having seen
• समालोक्य: Kriya-viseshana (Converb/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + आ + लोक् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्तः—ल्यप् (absolutive); ‘having seen’

• विपाप्मत्वम्: sinlessness
• विपाप्मत्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वि- (उपसर्ग) + पाप्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + त्व (प्रत्यय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः; द्वितीया-विभक्तिः; एकवचनम्; भाववाचक-तद्धितान्त (त्व) — ‘sinlessness’

• प्रपद्यते: attains
• प्रपद्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + पद् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः (present); प्रथम-पुरुषः; एकवचनम्; आत्मनेपदम्

Speaker

Brahmasaṃbhava Muni (deduced from concluding verse of the passage)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Rudrāvarta

Type: āvarta

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Brāhmaṇas

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A weary sinner-pilgrim approaches Rudrāvarta; upon seeing the sacred whirl and its Śaiva markers, a dark aura lifts, replaced by a luminous halo—symbolizing vipāpmatva.

Characters & Entities

• Rudrāvarta
• Pāpa
• Vipāpmatva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage and darśana at a consecrated Śaiva tīrtha are portrayed as powerful means of purification beyond ordinary measures.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Rudrāvarta.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Darśana (beholding) of the tīrtha itself is stated as efficacious for pāpa-kṣaya.