Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 25

Devanagari script

पठेत्सहस्रं नाम्ना तु दुर्वासादित्यसंनिधौ । षण्मासान्मुच्यते जंतुर्यद्यपि ब्रह्महा नरः

Transliteration

paṭhetsahasraṃ nāmnā tu durvāsādityasaṃnidhau | ṣaṇmāsānmucyate jaṃturyadyapi brahmahā naraḥ

Translation

துர்வாசாதித்யன் சன்னிதியில் ‘சஹஸ்ரநாம’த்தை பாராயணம் செய்ய வேண்டும்; ஆறு மாதங்களில் உயிர் விடுதலை பெறும், அவன் பிரம்மஹத்த்யா குற்றம் செய்த மனிதனாக இருந்தாலும் கூட।

Word by Word

• पठेत्: should recite/read
• पठेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पठ् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative/Potential mood), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd person), एकवचनम् (singular)

• सहस्रम्: a thousand
• सहस्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गम् (neuter), द्वितीया विभक्तिः (Accusative/2nd), एकवचनम् (singular)

• नाम्ना: by/with the name (as a formula)
• नाम्ना: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गम् (neuter), तृतीया विभक्तिः (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचनम् (singular)

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपातः (particle), अवधानार्थ/विरोधार्थ (emphasis/contrast)

• दुर्वासादित्यसंनिधौ: in the presence of Durvāsā and the Sun
• दुर्वासादित्यसंनिधौ: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुर्वासा (प्रातिपदिक) + आदित्य (प्रातिपदिक) + संनिधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गम् (masculine), सप्तमी विभक्तिः (Locative/7th), एकवचनम् (singular); समासः—दुर्वासा-आदित्ययोः संनिधिः (in the presence of Durvāsā and Āditya)

• षण्मासात्: from/within six months
• षण्मासात्: Apadana (Source/अपाादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: षण् (प्रातिपदिक) + मास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गम् (masculine), पञ्चमी विभक्तिः (Ablative/5th), एकवचनम् (singular); द्विगुसमासः (six-month period)

• मुच्यते: is released/freed
• मुच्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुच् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present tense), आत्मनेपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd person), एकवचनम् (singular); कर्मणि प्रयोगः (passive)

• जन्तुः: a being/person
• जन्तुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन्तु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गम् (masculine), प्रथमा विभक्तिः (Nominative/1st), एकवचनम् (singular)

• यद्यपि: even if/although
• यद्यपि: Sambandha (Clause connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय) + अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अन्वयार्थ अव्ययसमूहः (concessive: 'even if/although')

• ब्रह्महा: a brahma-slayer (killer of a brāhmaṇa)
• ब्रह्महा: Karta (Subject apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + हन् (धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गम् (masculine), प्रथमा विभक्तिः (Nominative/1st), एकवचनम् (singular); कृदन्तः—हन् धातोः क्विप्/णिनि-प्रत्ययान्तः (agent noun: 'slayer'); समासः—ब्रह्मणः हन्ता (slayer of a brāhmaṇa)

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (Subject apposition/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गम् (masculine), प्रथमा विभक्तिः (Nominative/1st), एकवचनम् (singular)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Durvāsāditya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee sits near the Durvāsāditya shrine counting a mālā, reciting a sahasranāma; the Sun’s rays form a protective mandala, and a shadowy ‘mahāpātaka’ figure fades over months.

Characters & Entities

• Durvāsāditya
• Sahasranāma

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Nāma-japa performed at a consecrated place and presence is presented as a time-bound, transformative path of purification.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The shrine/presence (saṃnidhi) of Durvāsāditya within Prabhāsakṣetra.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Recitation of a sahasranāma (thousand names) in front of Durvāsāditya, with the stated fruit of purification within six months.