Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 62

Devanagari script

गायत्रीसदृशं जाप्यं होमो व्याहृतिभिः समः । अंतर्जले तथा नास्ति पापघ्नमघमर्षणात्

Transliteration

gāyatrīsadṛśaṃ jāpyaṃ homo vyāhṛtibhiḥ samaḥ | aṃtarjale tathā nāsti pāpaghnamaghamarṣaṇāt

Translation

No hay japa que iguale al Gāyatrī; no hay homa que iguale al realizado con las Vyāhṛtis. Asimismo, en las aguas no existe destructor de pecados comparable al rito de Aghamarṣaṇa.

Word by Word

• gāyatrī-sadṛśam: like the Gāyatrī
• gāyatrī-sadṛśam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: gāyatrī (प्रातिपदिक) + sadṛśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (gāyatrīyāḥ sadṛśam = like the Gāyatrī); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; here predicative with 'jāpyam'

• jāpyam: that which is to be muttered (japa)
• jāpyam: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jāpya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• homaḥ: fire-offering
• homaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: homa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• vyāhṛtibhiḥ: with the sacred utterances (bhūḥ, bhuvaḥ, svaḥ etc.)
• vyāhṛtibhiḥ: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vyāhṛti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (instrumental), बहुवचन

• samaḥ: equal
• samaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; predicate with 'homaḥ'

• antar-jale: in the water, within water
• antar-jale: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: antar (अव्यय/उपसर्गसदृश) + jala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास (antar + jale = in the water/within water); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• tathā: likewise
• tathā: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; adverb ‘thus, likewise’

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; negation particle

• asti: is, exists
• asti: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• pāpa-ghnam: sin-destroying
• pāpa-ghnam: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pāpa (प्रातिपदिक) + ghna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (pāpaṃ hanti iti = sin-destroying); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; predicative (implied ‘(anything) sin-destroying’)

• agha-marṣaṇāt: than (the rite/mantra) Aghamarṣaṇa
• agha-marṣaṇāt: Apādāna (Standard of comparison/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: agha (प्रातिपदिक) + marṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (aghaṃ marṣayati iti = remover of sin); पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (ablative/comparison ‘than’), एकवचन

Speaker

Unspecified (didactic voice within Prabhāsakṣetramāhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (tīrtha-jala)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pilgrims waist-deep in sacred water performing Aghamarṣaṇa (cupped-water gestures, controlled breathing), with a nearby homa-kuṇḍa emitting steady flame and a subtle radiance around a Gāyatrī manuscript/solar disc symbol.

Characters & Entities

• Gāyatrī
• Vyāhṛti
• Homa
• Aghamarṣaṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Among purificatory disciplines, the tradition elevates Gāyatrī-japa, Vyāhṛti-homa, and Aghamarṣaṇa as unsurpassed means of inner cleansing.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No single site is named; the verse highlights rite-based purification commonly performed at tīrthas (especially in sacred waters).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Gāyatrī recitation (japa), homa with Vyāhṛtis, and Aghamarṣaṇa performed in/with water (often during snāna).