Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 29

Devanagari script

द्वादशाब्दान्नमस्काराद्भक्त्या यल्लभते फलम् । मन्त्रयुक्तनमस्कारात्सकृत्तल्लभते फलम्

Transliteration

dvādaśābdānnamaskārādbhaktyā yallabhate phalam | mantrayuktanamaskārātsakṛttallabhate phalam

Translation

Die Frucht, die man durch hingebungsvolle Niederwerfungen zwölf Jahre lang erlangt, dieselbe Frucht gewinnt man durch eine einzige Niederwerfung, die von einem Mantra begleitet ist.

Word by Word

• dvādaśa-abdāt: from (a period of) twelve years
• dvādaśa-abdāt: Apādāna (Source/starting point/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvādaśa (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + abda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5), एकवचन; द्विगुसमास (संख्यापूर्वक)

• namaskārāt: from salutation
• namaskārāt: Apādāna (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: namaskāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5), एकवचन

• bhaktyā: with devotion
• bhaktyā: Karaṇa (Instrument/means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhakti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन

• yat: which (that)
• yat: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक सर्वनाम (relative)

• labhate: one obtains
• labhate: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √labh (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• phalam: fruit/result
• phalam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: phala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• mantra-yukta-namaskārāt: from a mantra-accompanied salutation
• mantra-yukta-namaskārāt: Apādāna (Source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mantra (प्रातिपदिक) + yukta (कृदन्त; √yuj/युज् "to join" + क्त) + namaskāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषसमास (विशेषणपूर्वपद: mantra-yukta)

• sakṛt: once
• sakṛt: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sakṛt (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; काल/आवृत्ति-बोधक (once)

• tat: that (same)
• tat: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; निर्देशार्थ सर्वनाम (correlative)

• labhate: one obtains
• labhate: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √labh (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• phalam: fruit/result
• phalam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: phala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta (deduced; Āvantya Khaṇḍa narration style in tīrtha-māhātmya context)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee performs a single full prostration before a deity while mantra syllables are depicted as luminous script; in the background, a faint montage shows years of repeated prostrations fading, emphasizing the ‘time-compression’ miracle of mantra.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Mantra joined with devotion concentrates merit—right method and inner bhakti can equal long-term practice.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader passage belongs to the Revā (Narmadā) tīrtha-mahātmya, framing worship and merit around the Revā region.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A single namaskāra (prostration) performed with mantra is prescribed as exceptionally meritorious.