Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 59

Devanagari script

माहात्म्यं सर्वपापानां सद्यो नाशनकारकम् । मंगलं परमं ह्येतदायुष्यं कीर्तिवर्धनम् । रुद्रशीर्षस्य माहात्म्यं तस्माच्छ्रोतव्यमादरात्

Transliteration

māhātmyaṃ sarvapāpānāṃ sadyo nāśanakārakam | maṃgalaṃ paramaṃ hyetadāyuṣyaṃ kīrtivardhanam | rudraśīrṣasya māhātmyaṃ tasmācchrotavyamādarāt

Translation

ഈ മഹാത്മ്യം സർവ്വപാപങ്ങളെയും ക്ഷണത്തിൽ നശിപ്പിക്കുന്നതാണ്. ഇത് പരമ മംഗളകരം, ആയുഷ്‌വರ್ಧകം, കീർത്തിവർധകം. അതിനാൽ രുദ്രശീർഷ മഹാത്മ്യം ആദരത്തോടെ ശ്രവിക്കണം.

Word by Word

• माहात्म्यम्: the greatness (glory)
• माहात्म्यम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माहात्म्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• सर्वपापानाम्: of all sins
• सर्वपापानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्वपाप (प्रातिपदिक: सर्व + पाप)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन; कर्मधारय-समास (सर्वाणि पापानि) = all sins

• सद्यः: immediately
• सद्यः: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सद्यस् (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण/adverb): immediately

• नाशनकारकम्: destroyer (that causes destruction)
• नाशनकारकम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Predicate adjective of माहात्म्यम्)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नाशन + कारक (प्रातिपदिक: नाशनम् + कारकः)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (नाशनं करोति) = causing destruction

• मंगलम्: auspiciousness
• मंगलम्: Pradhāna (Predicate nominal)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मङ्गल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; predicate noun

• परमम्: supreme
• परमम्: Viśeṣaṇa
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण of मङ्गलम्

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha-bodhaka (Emphasis particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात/particle): indeed, for

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; subject for subsequent predicates

• आयुष्यम्: life-promoting
• आयुष्यम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Predicate adjective of एतत्)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आयुष्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; predicate adjective: conducive to long life

• कीर्तिवर्धनम्: increasing fame
• कीर्तिवर्धनम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Predicate adjective of एतत्)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कीर्ति + वर्धन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (कीर्तिं वर्धयति) = increasing fame

• रुद्रशीर्षस्य: of Rudraśīrṣa
• रुद्रशीर्षस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुद्रशीर्ष (प्रातिपदिक: रुद्र + शीर्ष)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (रुद्रस्य शीर्षम्)

• माहात्म्यम्: the glory
• माहात्म्यम्: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माहात्म्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Cause/Reason)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तस्मात् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक: तद्)
• Form: अव्यय (हेतु/causal adverb): therefore, from that reason

• श्रोतव्यम्: should be listened to
• श्रोतव्यम्: Kriyā (Obligation predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु) + तव्यत् (कृदन्त)
• Form: तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive/obligatory), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्मणि-भावः: should be heard

• आदरात्: with reverence
• आदरात्: Hetu (Cause/Manner-source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आदर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/अपादान), एकवचन; ‘आदरात्’ = out of respect

Speaker

Narrator (contextual; likely Sūta continuing the Māhātmya narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Rudraśīrṣa

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: ṛṣi/dvija assembly (implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A didactic proclamation: the narrator extols the Rudraśīrṣa-māhātmya as supremely auspicious; sages listen with folded hands, emphasizing ‘ādara’ (reverence).

Characters & Entities

• Rudraśīrṣa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Listening with reverence to sacred place-glories is itself a purifying spiritual practice with tangible merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Rudraśīrṣa sacred site and its māhātmya within Nāgarakhaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Śravaṇa (devout listening) of the Rudraśīrṣa māhātmya is explicitly prescribed.