Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 54

Devanagari script

एतद्वः सर्वमाख्यातं सर्वपातकनाशनम् । आख्यानं देवदेवस्य सुपुण्यं जलशायिनः

Transliteration

etadvaḥ sarvamākhyātaṃ sarvapātakanāśanam | ākhyānaṃ devadevasya supuṇyaṃ jalaśāyinaḥ

Translation

یہ سب کچھ میں نے تمہیں بیان کر دیا—یہ ایسا بیان ہے جو ہر گناہ کو مٹا دیتا ہے۔ یہ دیوتاؤں کے دیوتا، آب پر آرام فرمانے والے ربّ کی نہایت پُنیہ اور مقدّس کتھا ہے۔

Word by Word

• etat: this
• etat: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• vaḥ: to you/for you
• vaḥ: Sampradana/Sambandha (Recipient/Possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी/चतुर्थी (6th/4th), बहुवचन; एन्क्लिटिक सर्वनाम

• sarvam: all/entire
• sarvam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणम् ‘etat’

• ākhyātam: has been narrated
• ākhyātam: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √khyā (धातु) + ā- (उपसर्ग) + ta (क्त)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘(has been) narrated/told’

• sarva-pātaka-nāśanam: destroyer of all sins
• sarva-pātaka-nāśanam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक) + pātaka (प्रातिपदिक) + nāśana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (sarveṣāṃ pātakānāṃ nāśanam)

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

• deva-devasya: of the God of gods
• deva-devasya: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक) + deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (devānāṃ devaḥ)

• su-puṇyam: very meritorious
• su-puṇyam: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: su (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + puṇya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय (su puṇyam)

• jala-śāyinaḥ: of the one who lies on the waters (Viṣṇu)
• jala-śāyinaḥ: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jala (प्रातिपदिक) + śāyin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (jale śāyī)

Speaker

Sūta (deduced from immediate continuation into Sūta-uvāca in next adhyāya context)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dvija-śreṣṭhas (assembled Brahmin sages)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Sūta concludes the sacred narration before an attentive assembly of sages; the atmosphere is calm, reverent, and conclusive, with the image of Viṣṇu reclining on cosmic waters evoked in listeners’ minds.

Characters & Entities

• Devadeva
• Jalaśāyī (Viṣṇu)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Listening to and transmitting a truly sacred Purāṇic account is itself a purifier that destroys accumulated sin.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse functions as a concluding praise of the preceding tīrtha-narrative; the specific site is the one described earlier in Adhyāya 41.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No specific rite is prescribed here; the emphasis is on the purifying merit of hearing/reciting the sacred narrative.