Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

अथ चेद्रुद्रभक्तेषु बहुमानस्तव प्रभो । तत्र ते कीर्तयिष्यामि प्रायश्चित्तं महोत्तमम्

Transliteration

atha cedrudrabhakteṣu bahumānastava prabho | tatra te kīrtayiṣyāmi prāyaścittaṃ mahottamam

Translation

ਹੇ ਪ੍ਰਭੂ! ਜੇ ਰੁਦ੍ਰ ਦੇ ਭਗਤਾਂ ਪ੍ਰਤੀ ਤੇਰਾ ਵੱਡਾ ਆਦਰ ਹੈ, ਤਾਂ ਮੈਂ ਉਸ ਸੰਬੰਧੀ ਅਤਿ ਉੱਤਮ ਪ੍ਰਾਯਸ਼ਚਿੱਤ ਤੈਨੂੰ ਪ੍ਰਗਟ ਕਰਾਂਗਾ।

Word by Word

• अथ: now/then
• अथ: Sambandha (Discourse connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अनुक्रम/प्रस्तावार्थक (sequencing particle: 'now/then')

• चेत्: if
• चेत्: Sambandha (Condition marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: चेत् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; शर्तार्थक निपात (conditional particle: 'if')

• रुद्रभक्तेषु: among devotees of Rudra
• रुद्रभक्तेषु: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुद्र-भक्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), बहुवचन; समासः षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (रुद्रस्य भक्ताः)

• बहुमानः: respect/reverence
• बहुमानः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बहुमान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन

• तव: your
• तव: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• प्रभो: O Lord
• प्रभो: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन (Vocative/सम्बोधन), एकवचन

• तत्र: there/in that matter
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Adverbial locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (locative adverb)

• ते: to you
• ते: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; चतुर्थी (4th/सम्प्रदान), एकवचन

• कीर्तयिष्यामि: I will describe/proclaim
• कीर्तयिष्यामि: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कीर्तय् (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future/भविष्यत्), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• प्रायश्चित्तम्: expiation
• प्रायश्चित्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रायश्चित्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• महोत्तमम्: the greatest
• महोत्तमम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा-उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying प्रायश्चित्तम्); समासः कर्मधारयः (महान् च उत्तमः)

Speaker

Vāsudeva

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Prabhu (addressed Lord); Skanda is invoked as authority in the section

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A respectful interlocutor addresses Skanda/Divine Lord, requesting permission to proclaim a supreme expiation connected to honoring Rudra’s devotees.

Characters & Entities

• Rudra
• Rudra-bhaktas
• Skanda

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Reverence for Śiva’s devotees leads naturally to Rudra-centered atonement; devotion and expiation are linked in Puranic dharma.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is stated; the emphasis is on Rudra-bhakti and prāyaścitta.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The verse introduces an upcoming prāyaścitta connected to Rudra worship but does not specify it yet.