Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 9

Devanagari script

इति संक्षेपतः प्रोक्तमघोरेशमहोदयम् । माहात्म्यं सर्वपापघ्नं श्रुतं सर्वार्थसाधकम्

Transliteration

iti saṃkṣepataḥ proktamaghoreśamahodayam | māhātmyaṃ sarvapāpaghnaṃ śrutaṃ sarvārthasādhakam

Translation

ഇങ്ങനെ സംക്ഷേപമായി അഘോരേശ്വരന്റെ മഹോദയ മഹിമ പ്രസ്താവിക്കപ്പെട്ടു. ഈ മാഹാത്മ്യം സർവ്വപാപനാശിനി; ഇതു ശ്രവിച്ചാൽ സർവ്വാർത്ഥസാധകമാകുന്നു।

Word by Word

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker/इति)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उक्त्यर्थक-अव्यय (quotative particle)

• संक्षेपतः: briefly
• संक्षेपतः: Sambandha (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: संक्षेप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (adverb: ‘briefly’)

• प्रोक्तम्: has been stated
• प्रोक्तम्: Kriya (Result-state/क्रियाफल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + वच् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त—क्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मणि (‘said, declared’)

• अघोरेश-महोदयम्: the great glory of Aghoreśa
• अघोरेश-महोदयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अघोर-ईश (प्रातिपदिक) + महोदय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (अघोरेशस्य महोदयम्)

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

• सर्व-पाप-घ्नम्: destroying all sins
• सर्व-पाप-घ्नम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + पाप (प्रातिपदिक) + घ्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुष (पापं हन्ति इति घ्नः; सर्वपापघ्नः)

• श्रुतम्: (when) heard
• श्रुतम्: Kriya (Result-state/क्रियाफल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त—क्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मणि (‘heard’)

• सर्व-अर्थ-साधकम्: accomplishing all aims
• सर्व-अर्थ-साधकम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक) + साधक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुष (अर्थान् साधयति)

Speaker

Śiva (Īśvara) [deduced from immediate narrative context of Rudra-māhātmya style; explicit from next adhyāya opening]

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Aghoreśvara

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī (immediate) and pilgrims/readers (extended)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A small assembly of pilgrims sits near a shrine as a reciter concludes the Aghoreśvara-māhātmya; listeners with folded hands; the liṅga visible; sense of completion and blessing.

Characters & Entities

• Aghoreśvara

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Hearing and honoring the māhātmya of a sacred Śaiva site/deity is itself a dharmic act that purifies sin and supports the higher aims of life.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra’s Aghoreśvara (a Śiva-liṅga/manifestation) whose greatness is being concluded.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is prescribed here; the emphasized practice is śravaṇa—devout listening to the māhātmya.