Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 100

Devanagari script

त्रिलक्षमंत्र जप्येन मृतो देशांतरेष्वपि । अवश्यं मुक्तिमाप्नोति मंत्रस्यास्य प्रभावतः

Transliteration

trilakṣamaṃtra japyena mṛto deśāṃtareṣvapi | avaśyaṃ muktimāpnoti maṃtrasyāsya prabhāvataḥ

Translation

Selbst wenn man in einem anderen Land stirbt, erlangt, wer dieses Mantra dreihunderttausendmal vollendet rezitiert hat, gewiss die Befreiung — so groß ist die Kraft dieses Mantras.

Word by Word

• त्रिलक्षमन्त्र: the three-lakh mantra (i.e., mantra counted as three lakhs)
• त्रिलक्षमन्त्र: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रि + लक्ष + मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष-समास (द्विगु-प्रकृतिः); (त्रिलक्षस्य मन्त्रः) — अत्र समासपदं (compound stem)

• जप्येन: by (its) recitation
• जप्येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जप् (धातु) + य (कृत्)
• Form: कृदन्त (भाव्य/तव्यत्-अर्थः) ‘जप्य’ इति; नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; साधन-भावे (by means of recitation)

• मृतः: (one who has) died
• मृतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मृ (धातु) + क्त (कृत्)
• Form: कृदन्त (भूतकृदन्त/क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्तरि-प्रयोगे ‘dead’

• देशान्तरेषु: in other places
• देशान्तरेषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देश + अन्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (‘देशस्य अन्तरम्’ = another place)

• अपि: even
• अपि: Avyaya (Particle/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle)

• अवश्यम्: certainly
• अवश्यम्: Avyaya (Adverbial/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अवश्यम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• मुक्तिम्: liberation
• मुक्तिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• आप्नोति: attains
• आप्नोति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आप् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• मन्त्रस्य: of the mantra
• मन्त्रस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन

• अस्य: of this
• अस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; निर्देशवाचक-सर्वनाम

• प्रभावतः: due to (its) power
• प्रभावतः: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रभाव (प्रातिपदिक) + तस् (अव्यय-प्रत्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त (ablatival adverb) ‘because of/from the power’

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśī Khaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra (teaching-source)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A life-arc depiction: the practitioner completing japa with a tally, then a peaceful passing in a distant land; above, a luminous path opens to the ‘supreme state’ as the mantra’s radiance surrounds the departing soul, indicating liberation beyond geography.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Consistent spiritual effort (japa) can transcend external circumstances and lead to liberation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī’s broader salvific framework is implied; the verse stresses mantra-efficacy irrespective of location.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Complete three lakh (300,000) recitations of the mantra to obtain the stated fruit (moksha).