Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 60

Devanagari script

पितर ऊचुः । शंकरस्याग्रतः स्थानं रुद्रलोकप्रदं नृणाम् । पापदेहविशुद्ध्यर्थं पापेनोपहतात्मनाम्

Transliteration

pitara ūcuḥ | śaṃkarasyāgrataḥ sthānaṃ rudralokapradaṃ nṛṇām | pāpadehaviśuddhyarthaṃ pāpenopahatātmanām

Translation

पितर म्हणाले: शंकराच्या अग्रभागी असे एक पवित्र स्थान आहे जे मनुष्यांना रुद्रलोक प्रदान करते; पापाने आहत झालेल्या आत्म्यांच्या पापमय देहशुद्धीसाठी ते आहे।

Word by Word

• पितरः: the ancestors
• पितरः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• ऊचुः: said
• ऊचुः: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• शंकरस्य: of Śaṅkara
• शंकरस्य: Sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शंकर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अग्रतः: in front of
• अग्रतः: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अग्रतः (अव्यय/निपात)
• Form: अव्यय; स्थानवाचक (in front of)

• स्थानम्: a place/abode
• स्थानम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्थान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• रुद्रलोकप्रदम्: granting Rudra’s world
• रुद्रलोकप्रदम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रुद्रलोक + प्रद (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √दा with प्र)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; वर्तमानकृदन्त/प्रद-प्रातिपदिक ‘giving’; विशेषण (स्थानम्)

• नृणाम्: of men
• नृणाम्: Sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• पापदेहविशुद्ध्यर्थम्: for the purpose of purifying the sinful body
• पापदेहविशुद्ध्यर्थम्: Prayojana (प्रयोजन/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप + देह + विशुद्धि + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; प्रयोजनवाचक (purpose-expression)

• पापेन: by sin
• पापेन: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• उपहतात्मनाम्: of those whose souls are afflicted
• उपहतात्मनाम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उप + हत (कृदन्त; √हन्) + आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; (पुं) ‘whose selves are struck/afflicted’; विशेषण (नृणाम्)

Speaker

Pitṛs (ancestors)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śaṅkara-agre sthāna (the station before Śiva)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: The narrative interlocutor (and by extension ‘sons’ as addressed beneficiaries)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pitṛs speak as luminous ancestral figures pointing toward a Śiva shrine; before the liṅga is a marked sacred spot (sthāna) where pilgrims bathe/offer water; a sinner figure is shown being cleansed, with a path of light rising toward Rudra-loka.

Characters & Entities

• Pitṛs
• Śaṅkara (Śiva)
• Rudraloka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Approaching Śiva’s sacred presence and place is a means of deep purification and a gateway to Rudraloka, even for the sin-afflicted.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A ‘sthāna before Śaṅkara’ is praised; the exact named location is likely specified in subsequent verses of the same adhyāya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is stated here; it frames the purpose of visiting/approaching the Śaṅkara-associated sthāna for purification.