Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 26

Devanagari script

एतैः कारुण्यतो दत्तो मंत्रः क्षिप्रं प्रसिद्ध्यति । क्षेत्राणि जपयोग्यानि समासात्कथयाम्यहम्

Transliteration

etaiḥ kāruṇyato datto maṃtraḥ kṣipraṃ prasiddhyati | kṣetrāṇi japayogyāni samāsātkathayāmyaham

Translation

Ein Mantra, das von solchen Lehrern aus Mitgefühl verliehen wird, erweist sich rasch als wirksam. Nun will ich kurz die heiligen Stätten nennen, die für Japa geeignet sind.

Word by Word

• एतैः: by these
• एतैः: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (pronoun), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (plural)

• कारुण्यतः: out of compassion
• कारुण्यतः: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कारुण्य (प्रातिपदिक) + तस् (तद्धित/अव्यय-प्रत्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (indeclinable), तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त (ablatival adverb), अर्थः—‘कारुण्य-हेतोः/कारुण्येन’ (out of compassion)

• दत्तः: given
• दत्तः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु) → दत्त (कृदन्त, क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; पुंलिङ्ग (masc), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nom/1st), एकवचन (sg)

• मन्त्रः: mantra
• मन्त्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masc), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (singular)

• क्षिप्रम्: quickly
• क्षिप्रम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्षिप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (indeclinable), क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• प्रसिद्ध्यति: becomes well-known / attains fame
• प्रसिद्ध्यति: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + सिध् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (singular)

• क्षेत्राणि: holy places / fields
• क्षेत्राणि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन (plural)

• जपयोग्यानि: fit for mantra-recitation
• जपयोग्यानि: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जप (प्रातिपदिक) + योग्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (determinative): ‘जपाय योग्य’ (fit for japa); नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Acc/2nd), बहुवचन (plural)

• समासात्: briefly / in summary
• समासात्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: समास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाववत् प्रयोगः; पञ्चमी-एकवचनरूपेण अव्ययार्थ (ablatival adverb): ‘संक्षेपतः’ (in brief)

• कथयामि: I tell / I narrate
• कथयामि: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथय् (धातु, णिजन्त causative of कथ्)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, उत्तम-पुरुष (1st person), एकवचन (singular)

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (pronoun), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (singular)

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic voice; likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa in Brāhma Khaṇḍa framing)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Assembly of sages/seekers (contextual)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A compassionate guru bestows a mantra to a disciplined seeker; behind them a symbolic map-like panorama of famed tīrthas, indicating that certain landscapes amplify japa.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Guru’s compassion empowers practice, and sacred geography (kṣetra) is presented as a key support for japa.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse introduces the forthcoming tīrtha list; the named sites appear in the next shloka.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform japa in designated japa-yogya kṣetras; receive mantra from a compassionate, qualified guru.