Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 74

Devanagari script

इत्येतत्कथितं देवि माहात्म्यं पापनाशनम् । पशुपाशविमोक्षार्थं सम्यक्पाशुपतेश्वरम्

Transliteration

ityetatkathitaṃ devi māhātmyaṃ pāpanāśanam | paśupāśavimokṣārthaṃ samyakpāśupateśvaram

Translation

ഇങ്ങനെ, ദേവീ, പാപനാശകമായ മഹാത്മ്യം പ്രസ്താവിച്ചു—ജീവികളെ ബന്ധനപാശങ്ങളിൽ നിന്നു വിമോചിപ്പാൻ പാശുപതേശ്വരന്റെ മഹിമ സമ്യകമായി വിവരിച്ചു.

Word by Word

• इति: thus
• इति: Discourse marker
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; वाक्यसमाप्त्यर्थक/उद्धरणसूचक (indeclinable; quotative/end marker)

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma/Pratipādya (That which is stated)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (Neuter, Nom./Acc., Singular)

• कथितम्: has been told
• कथितम्: Kriya (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथ् (धातु) + क्त (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त-कृदन्त (past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगे ‘कथितम्’ = ‘has been told’

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

• माहात्म्यम्: the greatness (glory)
• माहात्म्यम्: Karma/Apposition
• Type: Noun
• Root: माहात्म्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (Neuter, Nom./Acc., Singular)

• पाप-नाशनम्: destroyer of sins
• पाप-नाशनम्: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक) + नाशन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (Neuter, Nom./Acc., Singular; adjective of ‘माहात्म्यम्’)

• पशु-पाश-विमोक्ष-अर्थम्: for (the purpose of) liberation from the bonds (of beings)
• पशु-पाश-विमोक्ष-अर्थम्: Prayojana (Purpose/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पशु (प्रातिपदिक) + पाश (प्रातिपदिक) + विमोक्ष (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: चतुर्थी-तत्पुरुष/उद्देश्यवाचक ‘-अर्थम्’ अव्ययीभाववत् प्रयोगः; द्वितीया-एकवचनरूपेण अव्ययार्थः (for the purpose of liberation from the bonds of beings)

• सम्यक्: properly
• सम्यक्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम्यक् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (indeclinable; adverb)

• पाशुपत-ईश्वरम्: the Lord of (the) Pāśupata (doctrine)
• पाशुपत-ईश्वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाशुपत (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (pāśupatasya īśvaraḥ); पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Accusative, Singular)

Speaker

Śiva (direct address to Devī indicates Śiva–Pārvatī dialogue frame)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Pāśupateśvara at Prabhāsa

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Narrator addressing Devī in a calm concluding posture; behind them, a symbolic vision of Pāśupateśvara radiating, with bonds (pāśa) falling away from beings—signifying the section’s purpose.

Characters & Entities

• Devī
• Pāśupateśvara
• Pāśa/Paśu (bondage doctrine)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The purpose of the māhātmya is salvific: to free the bound soul (paśu) from bonds (pāśa) through Śiva’s grace at the kṣetra.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Pāśupateśvara at Prabhāsa-kṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No new rite is introduced; the verse concludes the glorification emphasizing liberation and sin-destruction.