Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 6

Devanagari script

तस्य संक्षेपतः प्रोक्तं माहात्म्यं पापनाशनम् । सम्यक्छ्रद्धान्वितैः प्राप्यं श्राव्यं तद्दर्शनोत्सुकैः

Transliteration

tasya saṃkṣepataḥ proktaṃ māhātmyaṃ pāpanāśanam | samyakchraddhānvitaiḥ prāpyaṃ śrāvyaṃ taddarśanotsukaiḥ

Translation

അതിന്റെ മഹാത്മ്യം സംക്ഷേപമായി പ്രസ്താവിക്കപ്പെട്ടു; അത് പാപനാശകമാണ്. യഥാർത്ഥ ശ്രദ്ധയോടെ അതിനെ സമീപിക്കണം; ദർശനത്തിന് ഉത്സുകരായവർ അത് ശ്രവണം ചെയ്യണം.

Word by Word

• तस्य: of that (Nīlarudra)
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• संक्षेपतः: briefly
• संक्षेपतः: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: संक्षेप (प्रातिपदिक) + तस् (तद्धित)
• Form: अव्यय; तद्धितान्त (तस्) — ‘संक्षेपेण’ (in brief)

• प्रोक्तम्: has been stated
• प्रोक्तम्: Kriya (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र + √वच् (धातु)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त)

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

• पापनाशनम्: destroyer of sins
• पापनाशनम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक) + नाशन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (पापस्य नाशनम्)

• सम्यक्: properly
• सम्यक्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम्यक् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक क्रियाविशेषण

• श्रद्धान्वितैः: by those endowed with faith
• श्रद्धान्वितैः: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रद्धा (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्वित (कृदन्त; अनु + √इ (धातु))
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (श्रद्धया अन्विताः)

• प्राप्यम्: to be attained
• प्राप्यम्: Kriya (Predicate necessity/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र + √आप् (धातु) + यत् (कृत्प्रत्यय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्तव्यतार्थक/योग्यतार्थक कृदन्त (यत्) — ‘to be obtained/attainable’

• श्राव्यम्: to be recited (made to be heard)
• श्राव्यम्: Kriya (Predicate necessity/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √श्रु (धातु) + णिच् (causative) + यत् (कृत्प्रत्यय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; णिजन्त—‘श्रावयति’ (causes to hear/recites); यत्—‘to be recited/made to be heard’

• तद्दर्शनोत्सुकैः: by those eager to see it
• तद्दर्शनोत्सुकैः: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + दर्शन (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्सुक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (तस्य दर्शनम् उत्सुकाः)

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Nīlarudra (within Prabhāsa-kṣetra)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A small assembly of pilgrims sits before a narrator/ācārya reading the mahatmya; in the distance, the shrine of Nīlarudra beckons, symbolizing darśana-utsukatā and pāpa-nāśa.

Characters & Entities

• Nīlarudra
• Māhātmya
• Darśana

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Faithful hearing and sincere longing for darśana are themselves purifying acts that unlock the māhātmya’s fruit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Nīlarudra in Prabhāsa Kṣetra, praised as pāpa-nāśana (sin-destroying).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Approach with śraddhā, and listen to the māhātmya—śravaṇa (hearing) is recommended for seekers of darśana.