Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

श्रुत्वा वापि पठित्वेदं श्रावयिपत्वाथ धार्मिकान् । मुच्यते सर्वपापेभ्यो नात्र कार्या विचारणा

Transliteration

śrutvā vāpi paṭhitvedaṃ śrāvayipatvātha dhārmikān | mucyate sarvapāpebhyo nātra kāryā vicāraṇā

Translation

ଏହାକୁ କେବଳ ଶୁଣିଲେ କିମ୍ବା ପଢ଼ିଲେ, ତାପରେ ଧାର୍ମିକମାନଙ୍କୁ ଶୁଣାଇଲେ, ମନୁଷ୍ୟ ସମସ୍ତ ପାପରୁ ମୁକ୍ତ ହୁଏ—ଏଥିରେ ବିଚାର ଆବଶ୍ୟକ ନୁହେଁ।

Word by Word

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त्वा/absolutive), अव्ययभाव — ‘having heard’

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (विकल्प/particle of alternative)

• अपि: also/even
• अपि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निपात/particle) — ‘also/even’

• पठित्वा: having read
• पठित्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पठ् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त्वा/absolutive), अव्ययभाव — ‘having read’

• इदम्: this (text/teaching)
• इदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदं (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — accusative singular

• श्रावयित्वा: having recited/made (others) hear
• श्रावयित्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु) [णिच् causative: श्रावयति]
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त्वा/absolutive) causative — ‘having caused to hear/recited’

• अथ: then/thereupon
• अथ: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (अनन्तर/sequence particle)

• धार्मिकान्: the righteous people
• धार्मिकान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धार्मिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन — accusative plural

• मुच्यते: is freed/is released
• मुच्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुच् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमानकाल), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive)

• सर्व-पापेभ्यः: from all sins
• सर्व-पापेभ्यः: Apadana (Source/Ablation/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), बहुवचन — ablative plural; कर्मधारय (सर्वाणि पापानि)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (निषेध/negation particle)

• अत्र: here/in this matter
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Locative sense/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (देशवाचक adverb)

• कार्या: to be done/necessary
• कार्या: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कार्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — predicate adjective agreeing with विचारणा

• विचारणा: consideration/deliberation
• विचारणा: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विचारणा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — nominative singular

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya (deduced from immediate context continuing into 144.1)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā-tīrtha māhātmya (textual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Nṛpa (king) and, by extension, future audiences

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A recitation assembly: a reader chants from a manuscript; righteous listeners sit attentively; the king sponsors the event; a subtle visual motif of sins dissolving (darkness lifting) underscores ‘mucyate sarvapāpebhyaḥ’.

Characters & Entities

• dhārmika
• pāpa
• śravaṇa
• pāṭha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śravaṇa (hearing) and pāṭha (reading/recitation) of tīrtha-māhātmya is itself a strong purifier.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The tīrtha praised in Adhyāya 143 of Revā Khaṇḍa; the verse functions as a phalaśruti for that praise.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Hear it, read it, and recite it to the dhārmikas (righteous listeners).