Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 43

Devanagari script

अधुना पापिनो मर्त्या न संति पृथिवीतले । रुद्राध्यायेन निहतं पातकानां महत्कुलम्

Transliteration

adhunā pāpino martyā na saṃti pṛthivītale | rudrādhyāyena nihataṃ pātakānāṃ mahatkulam

Translation

आता पृथ्वीवर पापी मर्त्य उरलेले नाहीत; रुद्राध्यायाने पातकांचे महान् कुल नष्ट झाले आहे।

Word by Word

• अधुना: now
• अधुना: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: adhunā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (कालवाचक/temporal adverb)

• पापिनः: sinners
• पापिनः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāpin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ‘sinners’

• मर्त्याः: mortals
• मर्त्याः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: martya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (प्रतिषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निषेध/negation particle)

• सन्ति: exist/are
• सन्ति: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √as (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• पृथिवीतले: on the surface of the earth
• पृथिवीतले: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pṛthivī + tala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative/अधिकरण), एकवचन; ‘पृथिव्याः तलम्’

• रुद्राध्यायेन: by the Rudra-lesson/recitation
• रुद्राध्यायेन: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rudra + adhyāya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; ‘रुद्रस्य अध्यायः’ (Rudra-chapter/recitation)

• निहतम्: destroyed
• निहतम्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ni + √han (धातु) + kta (कृत्)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘slain/destroyed’

• पातकानाम्: of sinners/evils
• पातकानाम्: Shashthi-Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pātaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन

• महत्कुलम्: the great clan
• महत्कुलम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahat + kula (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘महच्च तत् कुलम्’

Speaker

Yama (continuing to Brahmā)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A panoramic earth-scene where dark, smoky personifications of sins crumble and dissolve under a rain of luminous syllables (akṣara) from a Rudra-adhyāya recitation; humans appear calm and purified.

Characters & Entities

• Yama
• Brahmā
• Rudra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The text exalts Rudra-centered recitation/teaching as a powerful purifier capable of annihilating entrenched sin.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No site is specified; the glorification is of Rudra-adhyāya (a Shaiva sacred recitation/teaching).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Engagement with the Rudra-adhyāya—recitation, study, or devotional repetition—is implied as the purificatory act.