Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

इत्येवं कथितं देवि माहात्म्यं सागरार्कजम् । श्रुतं दुःखौघशमनं महापातकनाशनम्

Transliteration

ityevaṃ kathitaṃ devi māhātmyaṃ sāgarārkajam | śrutaṃ duḥkhaughaśamanaṃ mahāpātakanāśanam

Translation

ഹേ ദേവി, ഇങ്ങനെ സാഗരാർകന്റെ മഹാത്മ്യം പ്രസ്താവിക്കപ്പെട്ടു. ഇതു ശ്രവിക്കുന്നത് ദുഃഖപ്രവാഹം ശമിപ്പിക്കുകയും മഹാപാതകങ്ങൾ നശിപ്പിക്കുകയും ചെയ്യുന്നു.

Word by Word

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Discourse marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/समाप्त्यर्थक-अव्यय (quotative/closure particle)

• एवम्: in this way
• एवम्: Sambandha (Manner/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of manner)

• कथितम्: has been told
• कथितम्: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कथ् (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc), एकवचन; कर्मणि-भाव (said/told)

• देवि: O goddess
• देवि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• माहात्म्यम्: the greatness (glory)
• माहात्म्यम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माहात्म्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc), एकवचन

• सागरार्कजम्: born of Sāgara and Arka / related to Sāgara and the Sun
• सागरार्कजम्: Karman (Qualifier of object/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सागर (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्क (प्रातिपदिक) + ज (√जन् धातु, कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (सागर-अर्कयोः/सागरात् अर्कात् जातम्—contextual)

• श्रुतम्: heard
• श्रुतम्: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √श्रु (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc), एकवचन; अर्थः—श्रवणविषयीकृतम् (heard)

• दुःखौघशमनम्: remover of floods of sorrow
• दुःखौघशमनम्: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुःख (प्रातिपदिक) + ओघ (प्रातिपदिक) + शमन (√शम् धातु, कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (दुःखौघस्य शमनम्)

• महापातकनाशनम्: destroyer of great sins
• महापातकनाशनम्: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महापातक (प्रातिपदिक; महा+पातक) + नाशन (√नश् धातु, कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (महापातकस्य नाशनम्)

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Sāgarārka / Sāgarāditya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A concluding benediction-like verse: the narrator addresses Devī, declaring the Sāgarārka-māhātmya; subtle imagery of ocean-shore sunlight and a listener receiving relief from sorrow and sin.

Characters & Entities

• Devī
• Sāgara
• Arka (Sūrya)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred listening (śravaṇa) is itself a purifying practice; the Māhātmya transforms grief and dissolves heavy karmic burdens.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsakṣetra and its Sūrya-linked tradition (Sāgarārka) within the Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa’s sacred geography.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Śravaṇa-phala is highlighted: hearing the Māhātmya is declared to remove sorrow and destroy major sins.