Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

पुराणश्र वणादेव अनेकभवसंचितम् । पापं प्रशममायाति सर्वतीर्थफलं लभेत्

Transliteration

purāṇaśra vaṇādeva anekabhavasaṃcitam | pāpaṃ praśamamāyāti sarvatīrthaphalaṃ labhet

Translation

پُران سننے ہی سے کئی جنموں کے جمع شدہ پاپ فرو ہو جاتے ہیں، اور آدمی کو تمام تیرتھوں کے پھل کی برکت حاصل ہوتی ہے۔

Word by Word

• पुराण-श्रवणात्: from (the act of) hearing the Purāṇa
• पुराण-श्रवणात्: Apadana (Cause/source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुराण (प्रातिपदिक) + श्रवण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (‘of Purāṇa’), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative), एकवचन

• एव: alone/indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक अव्यय (emphasis)

• अनेक-भव-संचितम्: accumulated over many births
• अनेक-भव-संचितम्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनेक (प्रातिपदिक) + भव (प्रातिपदिक) + संचित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (बहुव्रीहिवत् विशेषणप्रयोगः), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (पापम्)

• पापम्: sin
• पापम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• प्रशमम्: cessation/quieting
• प्रशमम्: Gati/Karma (Goal state/गति-लक्ष्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रशम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्रियाविशेष्य (गत्यर्थे)

• आयाति: comes/attains
• आयाति: Kriya (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + या (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• सर्व-तीर्थ-फलम्: the fruit of all pilgrimages
• सर्व-तीर्थ-फलम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक) + फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (‘of all pilgrimages’), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• लभेत्: would obtain
• लभेत्: Kriya (Main verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लभ् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (contextual attribution within Purāṇic narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dvārakā (as discourse locus) / ‘sarva-tīrtha’ (as promised aggregate fruit)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and other sages

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A circle of listeners around the reciter; as the Purāṇa is heard, dark smoke-like ‘pāpa’ dissolves into clear light; in the background appear faint icons of many tīrthas—rivers, ghats, mountains—symbolizing ‘sarva-tīrtha-phala’.

Characters & Entities

• Purāṇa
• Tīrtha (all sacred places)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purāṇic listening is a powerful dharmic act that purifies deep karmic residue and grants vast merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse universalizes merit as ‘sarva-tīrtha-phala’; in context it supports the sacred itinerary and glory of Dvārakā within Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Śravaṇa (devout listening) of the Purāṇa is prescribed as a merit-giving practice.