Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 175

Devanagari script

एवं यः शृणुते भक्त्या गोविन्दाख्यानमुत्तमम् । पठते परया भक्त्या भ्रूणहत्या प्रणश्यति

Transliteration

evaṃ yaḥ śṛṇute bhaktyā govindākhyānamuttamam | paṭhate parayā bhaktyā bhrūṇahatyā praṇaśyati

Translation

अशा रीतीने जो भक्तिभावाने गोविंदाचे हे उत्तम आख्यान ऐकतो, किंवा परम भक्तीने पठण करतो, त्याचे भ्रूणहत्येचे पाप नष्ट होते।

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus, in this manner
• एवम्: Sambandha (Adverbial/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: evam (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (adverb of manner)

• यः: who (he who)
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सम्बन्धवाचक सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• शृणुते: hears, listens
• शृणुते: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: śru (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• भक्त्या: with devotion
• भक्त्या: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhakti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• गोविन्दाख्यानम्: the excellent narrative of Govinda
• गोविन्दाख्यानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: govinda (प्रातिपदिक) + ākhyāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (govindasya ākhyānam)

• उत्तमम्: excellent, best
• उत्तमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: uttama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying ākhyānam)

• पठते: recites, reads
• पठते: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: paṭh (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• परया: supreme, highest
• परया: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying bhaktyā)

• भक्त्या: with devotion
• भक्त्या: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhakti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• भ्रूणहत्या: the sin of foeticide (killing an embryo)
• भ्रूणहत्या: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhrūṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + hatyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (bhrūṇasya hatyā)

• प्रणश्यति: perishes, is destroyed
• प्रणश्यति: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√naś (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-kṣetra (Narmadā tīrtha ambit)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: nṛpasattama (best of kings) addressed in the immediate context

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee seated near a tīrtha pavilion listens to a reciter narrating Govinda’s sacred account; the atmosphere is penitential yet luminous, with subtle iconographic presence of Viṣṇu/Kṛṣṇa bestowing absolution.

Characters & Entities

• Govindākhyāna

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Devotional listening and recitation of purāṇic kathā is presented as a powerful means of inner purification and moral restoration.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This is a phalaśruti for the narrative within the Revā Khaṇḍa; it does not specify a single tirtha in the verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Śravaṇa (listening) and pāṭha (recitation) of the Govindākhyāna with deep devotion.