Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 4

Devanagari script

मंत्रवेदनमस्कारैरग्निश्राद्धविधानकैः । जाप्यैश्चारण्यकैश्चैव वाचिकी भक्तिरुच्यते

Transliteration

maṃtravedanamaskārairagniśrāddhavidhānakaiḥ | jāpyaiścāraṇyakaiścaiva vācikī bhaktirucyate

Translation

بالمَنترات، وتلاوة الفيدا، وأفعال السجود والتحية (نَمَسكارا)، وبالطقوس المقرّرة للنار وطقس الشْرادْدها (śrāddha)، وبالجَپا (japa) ورياضات السكنى في الغابة—تُسمّى هذه «البَكْتي اللفظية» (vācikī bhakti).

Word by Word

• मन्त्रवेदनमस्कारैः: by mantras, Vedic recitations, and salutations
• मन्त्रवेदनमस्कारैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्र + वेद + नमस्कार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), बहुवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वसमासः (mantra-veda-namaskāra)

• अग्निश्राद्धविधानकैः: by rites of agni-śrāddha procedures
• अग्निश्राद्धविधानकैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्नि + श्राद्ध + विधानक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषसमासः (अग्निश्राद्धस्य विधानकाः)

• जाप्यैः: by mutterings (japa)
• जाप्यैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जाप्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; जपनीय-कर्म (things to be muttered)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha/Connector
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-बोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• आरण्यकैः: by Āraṇyaka texts/recitations
• आरण्यकैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आरण्यक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha/Connector
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-बोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha/Emphasis
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (particle: indeed/just)

• वाचिकी: verbal
• वाचिकी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वाचिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• भक्तिः: devotion
• भक्तिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• उच्यते: is called
• उच्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (Passive), आत्मनेपदम्

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsakṣetra (context)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Priests and devotees performing vācikī bhakti: Veda-pāṭha, mantra-japa with mālā, namaskāra, a small agni-kuṇḍa with offerings, and a śrāddha setting with piṇḍa/tilodaka implied (though not detailed).

Characters & Entities

• Veda
• Agni
• Śrāddha
• Japa
• Āraṇyaka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Speech becomes sacred when used for mantra, Vedic recitation, and prescribed rites—this is vācikī bhakti.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The discourse belongs to Prabhāsa-kṣetra’s māhātmya context, emphasizing practices rather than a single named tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Mantra and Veda recitation, namaskāra, agni-related rites, śrāddha procedures, and japa/āraṇyaka disciplines.