Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 22

Devanagari script

अष्टषष्टिरियं देवि तवाख्याता विशेषतः । पठतां शृण्वतां वापि सर्वपातकनाशिनी

Transliteration

aṣṭaṣaṣṭiriyaṃ devi tavākhyātā viśeṣataḥ | paṭhatāṃ śṛṇvatāṃ vāpi sarvapātakanāśinī

Translation

ข้าแต่เทวี รายชื่อ/สถานศักดิ์สิทธิ์ทั้งหกสิบแปดนี้ ได้ประกาศแก่พระนางโดยเฉพาะแล้ว ผู้ใดสวดอ่านหรือแม้เพียงได้สดับฟัง ย่อมทำลายบาปทั้งปวงได้สิ้น.

Word by Word

• अष्टषष्टिः: sixty-eight
• अष्टषष्टिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अष्टषष्टि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; द्विगु-समासः (अष्ट च षष्टिः)

• इयम्: this
• इयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• देवि: O Goddess
• देवि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

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

• आख्याता: has been declared/told
• आख्याता: Karta-bhava (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + ख्या (धातु) → आख्यात (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कृदन्तः—भूतकर्मणि/कर्मणि क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; अर्थः ‘declared/told’

• विशेषतः: especially
• विशेषतः: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विशेष (प्रातिपदिक) + तस् (अव्यय-प्रत्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: especially)

• पठताम्: of those who recite
• पठताम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पठ् (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमान-कृदन्त (शतृ/शानच्-प्रत्ययान्त) ‘पठत्’; षष्ठी-बहुवचन (Genitive plural) — ‘of those who recite’

• शृण्वताम्: of those who listen
• शृण्वताम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमान-कृदन्त (शतृ/शानच्-प्रत्ययान्त) ‘शृण्वत्’; षष्ठी-बहुवचन (Genitive plural) — ‘of those who listen’

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha/Connector (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्पार्थक-निपात (particle: or)

• अपि: also/even
• अपि: Sambandha/Emphasis (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/सम्भावनार्थक-निपात (particle: also/even)

• सर्वपातकनाशिनी: destroyer of all sins
• सर्वपातकनाशिनी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व + पातक + नाशिनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (सर्वेषां पातकानां नाशिनी)

Speaker

Śiva (Īśvara)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Aṣṭaṣaṣṭi-śiva-sthāna-nāma (the 68-fold list)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devī seated in attentive listening posture while the narrator recites; a scroll or garland of 68 names encircles a radiant liṅga; dark ‘sin’ figures dissolve into light as sound-waves emanate from the recitation.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Devī (Pārvatī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śravaṇa (hearing) and pāṭha (recitation) of sacred tīrtha-traditions are themselves purifying acts that remove moral and spiritual impurities.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Rather than one site, the verse glorifies the complete set of sixty-eight tīrtha-linked Śiva names previously enumerated.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Recite the list or listen to it being recited; both are said to destroy all sins.