Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 27

Devanagari script

ऋग्यजुःसामविहितं जपञ्जाप्यमहर्निशम् । ध्यायमानो महादेवं शुचिर्धमनिसंततः

Transliteration

ṛgyajuḥsāmavihitaṃ japañjāpyamaharniśam | dhyāyamāno mahādevaṃ śucirdhamanisaṃtataḥ

Translation

Day and night he recited the japa enjoined by the Ṛg, Yajus, and Sāma Vedas, meditating upon Mahādeva—pure, and steadfastly restraining the currents of vital breath.

Word by Word

• ऋक्-यजुः-साम-विहितम्: prescribed in the Ṛg/Yajus/Sāma
• ऋक्-यजुः-साम-विहितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ṛc (प्रातिपदिक) + yajus (प्रातिपदिक) + sāman (प्रातिपदिक) + vihita (वि-धा धातु, क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (ऋग्यजुःसामैः विहितम्) — ‘prescribed by Ṛg, Yajus, and Sāma (Vedas)’; विशेषणम् (जाप्यम्)

• जपन्: chanting
• जपन्: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: jap (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (शतृ-प्रत्यय, वर्तमानकालिक), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — ‘chanting’

• जाप्यम्: the mantra-recitation
• जाप्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jāpya (प्रातिपदिक; jap धातोः यत्/ण्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त अर्थे ‘to be muttered’)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन — ‘(that which is) to be recited; japa’

• अहर्निशम्: day and night
• अहर्निशम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ahar (प्रातिपदिक) + niśā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाववत् नित्यसमास-प्रयोगः; द्वन्द्वसमासः (अहः + निशा) ‘day and night’ इत्यर्थे अव्ययवत् — ‘continually’

• ध्यायमानः: meditating
• ध्यायमानः: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dhyai (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (शानच्-प्रत्यय, आत्मनेपदी वर्तमान), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन — ‘meditating’

• महादेवम्: Mahādeva (Śiva)
• महादेवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahādeva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; कर्मधारयसमासः (महान् देवः)

• शुचिः: pure
• शुचिः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śuci (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (ध्यायमानः/जपन्) — ‘pure’

• धमनि-संततः: with veins taut/fully extended
• धमनि-संततः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dhamani (प्रातिपदिक) + saṃtata (सम्-तन् धातु, क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषसमासः (धमनिषु संततः) — ‘stretched/extended in the veins’ (i.e., with controlled/tense channels)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced: Āvantya Khaṇḍa narrative style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā/Narmadā-taṭa

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: An ascetic performs continuous Vedic japa, seated in meditation, eyes half-closed, breath controlled; subtle depiction of nāḍīs/prāṇa restraint through calm posture; Mahādeva visualized in the heart-space.

Characters & Entities

• Mahādeva (Śiva)
• Ṛgveda
• Yajurveda
• Sāmaveda
• Japa
• Tapas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Continuous japa and Śiva-meditation, grounded in Vedic injunctions and inner purity, are portrayed as the royal path of tapas.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Within the Revā Khaṇḍa flow, the implied setting is the Narmadā riverbank, a renowned locus for japa, dhyāna, and tapas.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A clear prescription of practice: Veda-enjoined japa (mantra repetition) performed day and night, together with meditation on Mahādeva and disciplined inner restraint.