Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 35

Devanagari script

एतद्धारोद्भवं योऽत्र वृत्तांतं कीर्तयिष्यति । शृणुयाद्वा द्विजश्रेष्ठा मुच्येत्पापाद्दिनोद्भवात्

Transliteration

etaddhārodbhavaṃ yo'tra vṛttāṃtaṃ kīrtayiṣyati | śṛṇuyādvā dvijaśreṣṭhā mucyetpāpāddinodbhavāt

Translation

اے برہمنوں میں افضل! جو یہاں دھارا کے ظہور کا یہ بیان پڑھ کر سنائے، یا صرف اسے سنے، وہ روز بروز پیدا ہونے والے گناہوں سے آزاد ہو جاتا ہے۔

Word by Word

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying ‘वृत्तान्तम्’)

• धारोद्भवम्: arising from Dhārā
• धारोद्भवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धारा + उद्भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (धारायाः उद्भवः = arising from Dhārā), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying ‘वृत्तान्तम्’)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (here)

• वृत्तान्तम्: account/narrative
• वृत्तान्तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृत्तान्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• कीर्तयिष्यति: will narrate/proclaim
• कीर्तयिष्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कीर्तय् (धातु; नामधातु from कीर्ति)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• शृणुयात्: may hear
• शृणुयात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; विधि/सम्भावना (may hear)

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-अव्यय (disjunctive particle: or)

• द्विजश्रेष्ठः: O best of the twice-born
• द्विजश्रेष्ठः: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज + श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (द्विजानां श्रेष्ठः), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सम्बोधनार्थे प्रयोगः (vocative sense)

• मुच्येत्: may be released
• मुच्येत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुच् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि/आत्मनेपद-प्रयोग (may be freed)

• पापात्: from sin
• पापात्: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (or पुंलिङ्ग-प्रयोग), पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन

• दिनोद्भवात्: arising during the day
• दिनोद्भवात्: Hetu/Apadana (Cause/Source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिन + उद्भव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (दिनात् उद्भवः = arising from the day), पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी, एकवचन; हेत्वर्थे (as cause/source)

Speaker

Sūta (deduced from Nāgara-khaṇḍa narrative frame; immediate speaker not explicit in this verse)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dhārā-tīrtha / Dhārādevī-māhātmya locus

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Dvāija-śreṣṭhas / sages

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A small assembly of brāhmaṇas and pilgrims seated near a shrine or tīrtha-bank; a reciter chants the Dhārā origin story while listeners receive the merit, depicted as a cleansing light washing away dark stains.

Characters & Entities

• Dhārā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śravaṇa (listening) and kīrtana (recitation) of a tīrtha’s māhātmya are themselves purifying acts that destroy recurring daily sins.

Which specific holy site (Tīrtha) is glorified here?

The Dhārā-related sacred locale within the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra Māhātmya (Nāgara Khaṇḍa), celebrated through its origin narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Reciting (pāṭha/kīrtana) or listening (śravaṇa) to the origin account of Dhārā as a purificatory religious practice.