Skanda Purana — Vishnu Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

ततः पश्चिमदिग्भागे नाम्ना पुण्यं हरिस्मृति । विष्णोरायतनं ख्यातं परमार्थफलप्रदम् । यस्य दर्शनमात्रेण सर्वपापैः प्रमुच्यते

Transliteration

tataḥ paścimadigbhāge nāmnā puṇyaṃ harismṛti | viṣṇorāyatanaṃ khyātaṃ paramārthaphalapradam | yasya darśanamātreṇa sarvapāpaiḥ pramucyate

Translation

അതിനുശേഷം പടിഞ്ഞാറൻ ദിക്കിൽ ‘ഹരിസ്മൃതി’ എന്ന പുണ്യസ്ഥലം ഉണ്ട്; അത് വിഷ്ണുവിന്റെ പ്രസിദ്ധമായ ആയതനം, പരമാർത്ഥഫലദായകം; അതിന്റെ ദർശനമാത്രം കൊണ്ടുതന്നെ സർവപാപങ്ങളിൽ നിന്ന് മോചനം ലഭിക്കുന്നു।

Word by Word

• tataḥ: then/from there
• tataḥ: Sambandha (Sequence/क्रम)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (अपादान/क्रमवाचक) — indeclinable ‘from there/then’

• paścima-dig-bhāge: in the western part
• paścima-dig-bhāge: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: paścima (प्रातिपदिक) + dik (प्रातिपदिक) + bhāga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास, पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन — Locative singular ‘in the western region/part’

• nāmnā: by name
• nāmnā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nāman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन — Instrumental singular ‘by name’

• puṇyam: holy
• puṇyam: Karta (Predicate nominative/विशेष्य-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: puṇya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — used as adjective/predicate ‘holy/meritorious’

• hari-smṛtiḥ: Hari-smṛti (remembrance of Hari)
• hari-smṛtiḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hari (प्रातिपदिक) + smṛti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास (षष्ठी/संबन्ध), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन — Nominative singular (name of a tīrtha/spot)

• viṣṇoḥ: of Viṣṇu
• viṣṇoḥ: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viṣṇu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन — Genitive singular

• āyatanam: abode/shrine
• āyatanam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: āyatana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन — Nominative singular

• khyātam: renowned
• khyātam: Karta (Predicate nominative/विशेष्य-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: khyāta (प्रातिपदिक; √khyā क्त)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्ययान्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — ‘renowned/known’ qualifying āyatanam

• parama-artha-phala-pradam: bestowing the fruit of the supreme goal
• parama-artha-phala-pradam: Karta (Predicate nominative/विशेष्य-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: parama (प्रातिपदिक) + artha (प्रातिपदिक) + phala (प्रातिपदिक) + prada (प्रातिपदिक; √dā)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास (बहुपद), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — adjective qualifying āyatanam ‘giving the fruit of the highest goal’

• yasya: whose
• yasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन — Genitive singular ‘whose’

• darśana-mātreṇa: by mere sight
• darśana-mātreṇa: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: darśana (प्रातिपदिक) + mātra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास (सप्तमी/तृतीया-भाव: ‘mere seeing’), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन — Instrumental singular

• sarva-pāpaiḥ: from all sins
• sarva-pāpaiḥ: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक) + pāpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन — Instrumental plural (ablatival sense with passive: ‘from all sins’)

• pramucyate: is freed
• pramucyate: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra + √muc (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive sense) — ‘is released/freed’

Speaker

Brahmā (deduced; Vaiṣṇavakhaṇḍa narrative voice)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Harismṛti

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Vipra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A western-quarter shrine labeled Harismṛti; pilgrims approach and, upon first sight, a dark haze (sins) dissolves into light; Viṣṇu’s presence is calm and liberating.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Harismṛti

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage and darśana at a Viṣṇu-sanctuary are portrayed as powerful means for purification and attaining the highest good.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Harismṛti, a renowned Viṣṇu āyatana in the western part of the Ayodhyā sacred region.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Darśana (sacred viewing) is emphasized; liberation from sins is promised by merely beholding the shrine.