Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 7

Devanagari script

अघोरं वा जपेन्मन्त्रं गायत्र्यं च महेश्वरम् । षण्मासाभ्यन्तरेणैव जपेच्च मुनिसत्तमाः । अणिमादिगुणैश्वर्यं संसिद्धिं प्राप्नुयाद्ध्रुवम्

Transliteration

aghoraṃ vā japenmantraṃ gāyatryaṃ ca maheśvaram | ṣaṇmāsābhyantareṇaiva japecca munisattamāḥ | aṇimādiguṇaiśvaryaṃ saṃsiddhiṃ prāpnuyāddhruvam

Translation

Oder man rezitiere das Aghora-Mantra und auch die Maheśvara-Gāyatrī. O Beste der Weisen: Wer dieses Japa innerhalb von sechs Monaten vollzieht, erlangt gewiss vollkommene Verwirklichung und herrscherliche Kräfte, beginnend mit aṇimā.

Word by Word

• अघोरम्: Aghora (mantra/name)
• अघोरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अघोर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha/Particle (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-अव्यय (particle: ‘or’)

• जपेत्: should recite
• जपेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जप् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• मन्त्रम्: mantra
• मन्त्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• गायत्र्यम्: Gāyatrī (mantra)
• गायत्र्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गायत्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (रूप: गायत्र्यम्)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha/Conjunction (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction: ‘and’)

• महेश्वरम्: Maheśvara (Śiva)
• महेश्वरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महेश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• षण्मासाभ्यन्तरेण: within six months
• षण्मासाभ्यन्तरेण: Karana/Adhikarana (Instrument/Locative sense)
• Type: Noun
• Root: षण्मास-अभ्यन्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन; समास: षण्मासस्य अभ्यन्तरम् (within six months)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha/Emphasis (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (particle: ‘indeed/only’)

• जपेत्: should recite
• जपेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जप् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्, परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha/Conjunction (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय

• मुनिसत्तमाः: O best sages
• मुनिसत्तमाः: Sambodhana/Address (सम्बोधनार्थे प्रथमा)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि-सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; समास: मुनीनां सत्तमाः (best of sages)

• अणिमादिगुणैश्वर्यम्: powers such as aṇimā etc.
• अणिमादिगुणैश्वर्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अणिमा-आदि-गुण-ऐश्वर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समास: अणिमादीनां गुणानाम् ऐश्वर्यम् (lordship/powers like aṇimā etc.)

• संसिद्धिम्: complete attainment
• संसिद्धिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संसिद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• प्राप्नुयात्: would attain
• प्राप्नुयात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-आप् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्, परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• ध्रुवम्: certainly
• ध्रुवम्: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ध्रुव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषणरूपेण अव्ययीभूतं (adverbial accusative: certainly)

Speaker

Narrator (within Īśvara–Devī dialogue context)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Siddheśvara/Siddhanātha at Prabhāsa

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Muni-sattamāḥ (explicit vocative)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A disciplined sādhaka sits near the Siddheśvara shrine, counting rudrākṣa beads, chanting Aghora and the Maheśvara Gāyatrī over months; subtle aura suggests emerging aṇimā-like siddhi.

Characters & Entities

• Aghora mantra
• Maheśvara Gāyatrī
• Aṇimā (siddhi)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Steady, time-bound mantra practice (japa-niyama) is praised as a direct means to spiritual accomplishment under Śiva’s grace.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Siddheśvara context within Prabhāsa Kṣetra, where japa and worship are said to yield swift fruition.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Japa of the Aghora mantra and/or Maheśvara Gāyatrī for a disciplined period of six months.