Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 76

Devanagari script

जपमानं तु तं मन्त्रं पुलहेन निवेदितः । हास्यरूपेण यस्तस्य सिद्धिं च द्विजसत्तमाः

Transliteration

japamānaṃ tu taṃ mantraṃ pulahena niveditaḥ | hāsyarūpeṇa yastasya siddhiṃ ca dvijasattamāḥ

Translation

يا خيرَ ذوي الولادتين، كان يكرّر تلك المانترا التي لقّنها له بولاها؛ وإن أُعطيت في صورةٍ مازحة، فقد جلبت له أيضًا نيلَ السِّدهي والتمام.

Word by Word

• japamānam: chanting (repeating)
• japamānam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √jap (जप् धातु)
• Form: शतृ/शानच्-वर्तमानकृदन्त (present participle), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन; ‘(him) chanting’

• tu: but; indeed
• tu: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (विरोध/अन्वय-निपात)

• tam: him
• tam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• mantram: mantra
• mantram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mantra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन

• pulahena: by Pulaha
• pulahena: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pulaha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), एकवचन

• niveditaḥ: was reported/informed
• niveditaḥ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ni-√vid (विद् धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त/past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (कर्ता-स्थाने), एकवचन; ‘was informed/was reported’

• hāsya-rūpeṇa: in a humorous form
• hāsya-rūpeṇa: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hāsya (प्रातिपदिक) + rūpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), एकवचन; ‘in/with a humorous form’

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

• tasya: of him/that
• tasya: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• siddhim: success; attainment
• siddhim: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: siddhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (समुच्चयबोधक-निपात)

• dvija-sattamāḥ: O best of the twice-born (brahmins)
• dvija-sattamāḥ: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvija (प्रातिपदिक) + sattama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (सम्बोधन/कर्ता), बहुवचन; ‘श्रेष्ठा द्विजाः’

Speaker

Unknown (Tīrthamāhātmya narrative voice; likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa relating the Māhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dvija-sattamāḥ (addressed audience)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A cutaway view: within the anthill sits the robber, eyes half-closed, lips moving in japa; above/behind, the sage Pulaha is envisioned as the mantra’s source, smiling gently at the playful instruction that nonetheless grants siddhi.

Characters & Entities

• Pulaha

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even a mantra given in an unconventional way can bear fruit when supported by sincere practice and the rishi’s transmission.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Not specified in this verse; the focus is on the mantra lineage (Pulaha) within the tīrtha-māhātmya narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Mantra-japa is central; the verse highlights guru/rishi transmission (Pulaha) as the basis for efficacy.