Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

एतं दुःशीलजं यस्तु पठेदाख्यानमुत्तमम् । स सर्वैर्मुच्यते पापैरज्ञानविहितैर्नृप

Transliteration

etaṃ duḥśīlajaṃ yastu paṭhedākhyānamuttamam | sa sarvairmucyate pāpairajñānavihitairnṛpa

Translation

اور جو کوئی بدکردار شخص کے قصّے سے پیدا ہونے والی اس بہترین حکایت کی تلاوت کرے، اے بادشاہ، وہ جہالت سے سرزد ہونے والے تمام گناہوں سے آزاد ہو جاتا ہے۔

Word by Word

• etam: this
• etam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुं/नपुंसक, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• duḥśīla-jam: born from/connected with the wicked man
• duḥśīla-jam: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: duḥśīla (प्रातिपदिक) + ja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (दुःशीलात् जातम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (आख्यानम्)

• yaḥ: who
• yaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• tu: indeed
• tu: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विशेष/विरोधार्थक-निपात

• paṭhet: should read
• paṭhet: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √paṭh (पठ् धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• ākhyānam: narrative, story
• ākhyānam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ākhyāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• uttamam: excellent
• uttamam: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: uttama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (ākhyānam)

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• sarvaiḥ: by all
• sarvaiḥ: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया, बहुवचन; विशेषण (pāpaiḥ)

• mucyate: is freed
• mucyate: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √muc (मुच् धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि/भावे प्रयोगः (is freed)

• pāpaiḥ: from sins
• pāpaiḥ: Apadana (Separation/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• ajñāna-vihitaiḥ: committed due to ignorance
• ajñāna-vihitaiḥ: Visheshana (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ajñāna (प्रातिपदिक) + vihita (√dhā/√vidhā?; विहित = √dhā with vi-?; established/ordained)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (अज्ञानेन विहितैः); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; विशेषण (pāpaiḥ)

• nṛpa: O king
• nṛpa: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nṛpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator addressing a king (nṛpa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra (as the māhātmya being recited)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: O king (nṛpa) addressed; also sages in the outer frame

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sage or narrator recites the ‘uttamākhyāna’ to a seated king; palm-leaf manuscript or rosary in hand; listeners attentive; subtle aura indicating purification as words flow.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic listening/recitation is presented as a purifier, especially for faults rooted in ignorance.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The phalaśruti belongs to the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra māhātmya narrative cycle within Nāgarakhaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Recitation/reading (paṭhana) of the ākhyāna is recommended as a meritorious practice.