Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

इतिहासं प्रवक्ष्यामि पुण्यं पापविनाशनम् । पुरा मनोजवो नाम राजा सोमकुलोद्भवः

Transliteration

itihāsaṃ pravakṣyāmi puṇyaṃ pāpavināśanam | purā manojavo nāma rājā somakulodbhavaḥ

Translation

Aku akan menuturkan sebuah itihāsa yang suci, penuh pahala dan memusnahkan dosa. Pada zaman dahulu ada seorang raja bernama Manojava, lahir daripada wangsa Soma (keturunan Bulan).

Word by Word

• इतिहासम्: a legend/history
• इतिहासम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इतिहास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• प्रवक्ष्यामि: I shall narrate
• प्रवक्ष्यामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-√वच् (धातु √वच्)
• Form: लृट् (Simple future), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद; उपसर्ग: प्र-

• पुण्यम्: holy/meritorious
• पुण्यम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• पापविनाशनम्: destroyer of sin
• पापविनाशनम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक) + विनाशन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: 'पापस्य विनाशनम्'

• पुरा: formerly
• पुरा: Kriya-visheshana (Temporal modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: formerly)

• मनोजवः: Manojava (name)
• मनोजवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनोजव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• नाम: named
• नाम: Sambandha/Specifier (Name-marker/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle indicating name: 'by name')

• राजा: king
• राजा: Apposition (Karta-samanadhikarana/समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• सोमकुलोद्भवः: born in the Soma dynasty
• सोमकुलोद्भवः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सोम (प्रातिपदिक) + कुल (प्रातिपदिक) + उद्भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: 'सोमकुलात् उद्भवः' (born from the Soma lineage)

Speaker

Sūta

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A narrator-sage begins recounting an ancient tale; the scene transitions to a regal portrait of King Manojava of the Soma dynasty, setting a moral-historical tone.

Characters & Entities

• Manojava
• Soma-kula (Lunar dynasty)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic ‘itihāsa’ is presented as a vehicle of purification—hearing sacred history is itself sin-destroying.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The forthcoming legend is introduced to explain the loka-pāvana tīrtha of Adhyāya 12 (Maṅgala-tīrtha context).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No direct ritual; the prescription is implicit—listen to the holy legend that removes sin.