Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 60

Devanagari script

पितर ऊचुः । शंकरस्याग्रतः स्थानं रुद्रलोकप्रदं नृणाम् । पापदेहविशुद्ध्यर्थं पापेनोपहतात्मनाम्

Transliteration

pitara ūcuḥ | śaṃkarasyāgrataḥ sthānaṃ rudralokapradaṃ nṛṇām | pāpadehaviśuddhyarthaṃ pāpenopahatātmanām

Translation

پِتروں نے کہا: شنکر کے سامنے ایک مقدس مقام ہے جو انسانوں کو رودرلوک عطا کرتا ہے؛ یہ گناہ سے مجروح جانوں کے لیے، گناہ آلود جسم کی تطہیر کے واسطے ہے۔

Word by Word

• पितरः: the ancestors
• पितरः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• ऊचुः: said
• ऊचुः: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• शंकरस्य: of Śaṅkara
• शंकरस्य: Sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शंकर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अग्रतः: in front of
• अग्रतः: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अग्रतः (अव्यय/निपात)
• Form: अव्यय; स्थानवाचक (in front of)

• स्थानम्: a place/abode
• स्थानम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्थान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• रुद्रलोकप्रदम्: granting Rudra’s world
• रुद्रलोकप्रदम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रुद्रलोक + प्रद (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √दा with प्र)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; वर्तमानकृदन्त/प्रद-प्रातिपदिक ‘giving’; विशेषण (स्थानम्)

• नृणाम्: of men
• नृणाम्: Sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• पापदेहविशुद्ध्यर्थम्: for the purpose of purifying the sinful body
• पापदेहविशुद्ध्यर्थम्: Prayojana (प्रयोजन/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप + देह + विशुद्धि + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; प्रयोजनवाचक (purpose-expression)

• पापेन: by sin
• पापेन: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• उपहतात्मनाम्: of those whose souls are afflicted
• उपहतात्मनाम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उप + हत (कृदन्त; √हन्) + आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; (पुं) ‘whose selves are struck/afflicted’; विशेषण (नृणाम्)

Speaker

Pitṛs (ancestors)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Śaṅkara-agre sthāna (the station before Śiva)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: The narrative interlocutor (and by extension ‘sons’ as addressed beneficiaries)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pitṛs speak as luminous ancestral figures pointing toward a Śiva shrine; before the liṅga is a marked sacred spot (sthāna) where pilgrims bathe/offer water; a sinner figure is shown being cleansed, with a path of light rising toward Rudra-loka.

Characters & Entities

• Pitṛs
• Śaṅkara (Śiva)
• Rudraloka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Approaching Śiva’s sacred presence and place is a means of deep purification and a gateway to Rudraloka, even for the sin-afflicted.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

A ‘sthāna before Śaṅkara’ is praised; the exact named location is likely specified in subsequent verses of the same adhyāya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit rite is stated here; it frames the purpose of visiting/approaching the Śaṅkara-associated sthāna for purification.