Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

पुराणश्रवणाच्छंभोर्नास्ति संकीर्तनं परम् । अत एव मनुष्याणां कल्पद्रुममहाफलम्

Transliteration

purāṇaśravaṇācchaṃbhornāsti saṃkīrtanaṃ param | ata eva manuṣyāṇāṃ kalpadrumamahāphalam

Translation

شَمبھو (شیو) کے لیے پوران کا شروَن سب سے برتر سنکیرتن ہے؛ اسی لیے یہ انسانوں کے لیے کلپ درخت کے عظیم پھل کی مانند مہا پھل بن جاتا ہے۔

Word by Word

• पुराण-श्रवणात्: from hearing the Purāṇa
• पुराण-श्रवणात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुराण (प्रातिपदिक) + श्रवण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Neuter, Ablative, Singular

• शम्भोः: of Śambhu (Śiva)
• शम्भोः: Sambandha (Possessor/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शम्भु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात

• अस्ति: is/exists
• अस्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; Present Indicative, 3rd singular

• संकीर्तनम्: kīrtana/chanting, glorification
• संकीर्तनम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संकीर्तन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• परम्: supreme
• परम्: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Neuter, Nominative, Singular; विशेषण (संकीर्तनम्)

• अतः: therefore
• अतः: Sambandha (Causal/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अतः (अव्यय)
• Form: हेतुवाचक-अव्यय; ‘therefore/from this’

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-निपात; emphatic particle

• मनुष्याणाम्: of humans
• मनुष्याणाम्: Sambandha (Possessor/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनुष्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• कल्पद्रुम-महाफलम्: a great wish-fulfilling fruit (like a kalpadruma)
• कल्पद्रुम-महाफलम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कल्पद्रुम (प्रातिपदिक) + महा (प्रातिपदिक) + फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुपद-कर्मधारय (कल्पद्रुमवत् महत् फलम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Neuter, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

Bādarāyaṇa (Vyāsa) / Purāṇic narrator voice (contextual)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Śiva (Śambhu) seated in serene form, subtly blessing a group listening to Purāṇa; a celestial kalpavṛkṣa appears behind, showering symbolic fruits of merit.

Characters & Entities

• Śambhu (Śiva)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Listening to Purāṇic discourse is portrayed as the highest glorification of Śiva and a wish-fulfilling source of merit for humans.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single site is named; the verse glorifies devotion to Śiva through Purāṇa-śravaṇa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Engage in Purāṇa-śravaṇa as a form of saṅkīrtana (praise) of Śiva.