Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 37

Devanagari script

यानि पापानि घोराणि जन्मांतरशतेषु मे । तेषां सर्वविनाशाय शिवपूजां समारभे

Transliteration

yāni pāpāni ghorāṇi janmāṃtaraśateṣu me | teṣāṃ sarvavināśāya śivapūjāṃ samārabhe

Translation

میرے سینکڑوں پچھلے جنموں میں جو ہولناک پاپ جمع ہوئے ہیں—ان سب کی کامل نابودی کے لیے میں شیو پوجا کا آغاز کرتا ہوں۔

Word by Word

• यानि: which
• यानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; relative pronoun ‘which’

• पापानि: sins
• पापानि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; N/Acc plural

• घोराणि: terrible
• घोराणि: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: घोर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; agrees with पापानि

• जन्मान्तरशतेषु: in hundreds of past births
• जन्मान्तरशतेषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन्मान्तरशत (प्रातिपदिक; जन्म-अन्तर + शत)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), बहुवचन; Locative plural ‘in hundreds of other births’

• मे: my
• मे: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Genitive singular ‘of me/my’

• तेषाम्: of those (sins)
• तेषाम्: Sambandha (Reference/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Genitive plural ‘of those’

• सर्वविनाशाय: for total destruction
• सर्वविनाशाय: Sampradana (Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्वविनाश (प्रातिपदिक; सर्व + विनाश)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (सम्प्रदान/प्रयोजन), एकवचन; Dative singular ‘for complete destruction’

• शिवपूजाम्: Śiva-worship
• शिवपूजाम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिवपूजा (प्रातिपदिक; शिव + पूजा)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; Accusative singular

• समारभे: I undertake
• समारभे: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-रभ् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), आत्मनेपदी, उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; Present 1st sg ‘I begin/undertake’

Speaker

The worshipper (saṅkalpa-vākya within the ritual)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devotee with folded hands before Śiva-liṅga, head bowed, expression of contrition and surrender; dim shrine light, offerings ready; the moment of beginning worship framed as a plea for purification.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva-bhakti is presented as a purifying force capable of burning accumulated karmic impurities.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is named; the verse is a universal saṅkalpa for Śiva worship.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A saṅkalpa is spoken: the devotee begins Śiva pūjā with the explicit aim of destroying sins accumulated over many births.