Skanda Purana — Vishnu Khanda, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

ततः पश्चिमदिग्भागे नाम्ना पुण्यं हरिस्मृति । विष्णोरायतनं ख्यातं परमार्थफलप्रदम् । यस्य दर्शनमात्रेण सर्वपापैः प्रमुच्यते

Transliteration

tataḥ paścimadigbhāge nāmnā puṇyaṃ harismṛti | viṣṇorāyatanaṃ khyātaṃ paramārthaphalapradam | yasya darśanamātreṇa sarvapāpaiḥ pramucyate

Translation

پھر مغربی سمت میں ‘ہری اسمِرتی’ نام کا ایک مقدّس تیرتھ ہے، جو وِشنو کا مشہور آستانہ ہے اور اعلیٰ ترین خیر کا پھل دیتا ہے؛ جس کے محض درشن سے ہی سب گناہوں سے نجات ملتی ہے۔

Word by Word

• tataḥ: then/from there
• tataḥ: Sambandha (Sequence/क्रम)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (अपादान/क्रमवाचक) — indeclinable ‘from there/then’

• paścima-dig-bhāge: in the western part
• paścima-dig-bhāge: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: paścima (प्रातिपदिक) + dik (प्रातिपदिक) + bhāga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास, पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन — Locative singular ‘in the western region/part’

• nāmnā: by name
• nāmnā: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nāman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन — Instrumental singular ‘by name’

• puṇyam: holy
• puṇyam: Karta (Predicate nominative/विशेष्य-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: puṇya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — used as adjective/predicate ‘holy/meritorious’

• hari-smṛtiḥ: Hari-smṛti (remembrance of Hari)
• hari-smṛtiḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hari (प्रातिपदिक) + smṛti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास (षष्ठी/संबन्ध), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन — Nominative singular (name of a tīrtha/spot)

• viṣṇoḥ: of Viṣṇu
• viṣṇoḥ: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viṣṇu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन — Genitive singular

• āyatanam: abode/shrine
• āyatanam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: āyatana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), एकवचन — Nominative singular

• khyātam: renowned
• khyātam: Karta (Predicate nominative/विशेष्य-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: khyāta (प्रातिपदिक; √khyā क्त)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्ययान्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — ‘renowned/known’ qualifying āyatanam

• parama-artha-phala-pradam: bestowing the fruit of the supreme goal
• parama-artha-phala-pradam: Karta (Predicate nominative/विशेष्य-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: parama (प्रातिपदिक) + artha (प्रातिपदिक) + phala (प्रातिपदिक) + prada (प्रातिपदिक; √dā)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास (बहुपद), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन — adjective qualifying āyatanam ‘giving the fruit of the highest goal’

• yasya: whose
• yasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन — Genitive singular ‘whose’

• darśana-mātreṇa: by mere sight
• darśana-mātreṇa: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: darśana (प्रातिपदिक) + mātra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास (सप्तमी/तृतीया-भाव: ‘mere seeing’), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन — Instrumental singular

• sarva-pāpaiḥ: from all sins
• sarva-pāpaiḥ: Apadana (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक) + pāpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन — Instrumental plural (ablatival sense with passive: ‘from all sins’)

• pramucyate: is freed
• pramucyate: Kriya (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra + √muc (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive sense) — ‘is released/freed’

Speaker

Brahmā (deduced; Vaiṣṇavakhaṇḍa narrative voice)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Harismṛti

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Vipra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A western-quarter shrine labeled Harismṛti; pilgrims approach and, upon first sight, a dark haze (sins) dissolves into light; Viṣṇu’s presence is calm and liberating.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Harismṛti

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage and darśana at a Viṣṇu-sanctuary are portrayed as powerful means for purification and attaining the highest good.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Harismṛti, a renowned Viṣṇu āyatana in the western part of the Ayodhyā sacred region.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Darśana (sacred viewing) is emphasized; liberation from sins is promised by merely beholding the shrine.