Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 3

Devanagari script

प्रणवः सर्ववेदाद्यः सर्वब्रह्मांडयाजकः । प्रथमः सर्वकार्येषु सर्वसिद्धिप्रदायकः

Transliteration

praṇavaḥ sarvavedādyaḥ sarvabrahmāṃḍayājakaḥ | prathamaḥ sarvakāryeṣu sarvasiddhipradāyakaḥ

Translation

Der Praṇava (Oṃ) steht am Anfang aller Veden und heiligt alle Welten des Kosmos. Er ist in jedem Vorhaben der Erste und verleiht jede Siddhi, jede Vollendung.

Word by Word

• प्रणवः: Praṇava (Oṃ)
• प्रणवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रणव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सर्ववेदाद्यः: foremost of all Vedas
• सर्ववेदाद्यः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व + वेद + आद्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘सर्ववेद’ इति तत्पुरुषः, तस्य आद्यः (foremost among all Vedas)

• सर्वब्रह्माण्डयाजकः: priest/worshipper of the entire cosmos
• सर्वब्रह्माण्डयाजकः: Karta (Predicate nominative/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व + ब्रह्माण्ड + याजक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (सर्वस्य ब्रह्माण्डस्य याजकः = worshipper/priest of the whole cosmos)

• प्रथमः: first
• प्रथमः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रथम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सर्वकार्येषु: in all undertakings
• सर्वकार्येषु: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व + कार्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; ‘सर्वकार्य’ तत्पुरुषः

• सर्वसिद्धिप्रदायकः: giver of all attainments
• सर्वसिद्धिप्रदायकः: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व + सिद्धि + प्रदायक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (सर्वाः सिद्धयः प्रददाति)

Speaker

Śiva (Deveśa) (deduced as respondent to Pārvatī)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A cosmic visualization: the syllable Oṃ radiates at the head of the Vedas, spreading sanctity through the worlds, while seekers commence their works under its auspice.

Characters & Entities

• Praṇava (Oṃ)
• Vedas
• Brahmāṇḍa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Oṃ is portrayed as the primordial spiritual principle that empowers rites and supports realization.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No particular site is mentioned; the focus is on mantra-principle (Praṇava) within the broader kṣetra narrative.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Use Praṇava as the foremost element across spiritual undertakings (sarva-kārya).