Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 55

Devanagari script

पठ पञ्चाननं शास्त्रं मन्त्रं पञ्चाक्षरं जप । धेहि पञ्चात्मकं तत्त्वं यज पञ्चाननं परम्

Transliteration

paṭha pañcānanaṃ śāstraṃ mantraṃ pañcākṣaraṃ japa | dhehi pañcātmakaṃ tattvaṃ yaja pañcānanaṃ param

Translation

Étudie l’enseignement sacré du Seigneur aux Cinq Visages ; récite le mantra de cinq syllabes ; médite le principe quintuple ; et adore le Pañcānana suprême.

Word by Word

• पठ: recite/read
• पठ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पठ् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• पञ्चाननम्: the five-faced (one)
• पञ्चाननम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्च + आनन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• शास्त्रम्: treatise/scripture
• शास्त्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शास्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• मन्त्रम्: mantra
• मन्त्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• पञ्चाक्षरम्: five-syllabled
• पञ्चाक्षरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्च + अक्षर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण (adjective) मन्त्रम् इति विशेष्यस्य

• जप: chant/repeat
• जप: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जप् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• धेहि: place/establish
• धेहि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: धा (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद; रूपम्: धेहि (आदेश)

• पञ्चात्मकम्: fivefold/consisting of five
• पञ्चात्मकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्च + आत्मक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण (adjective) तत्त्वम् इति विशेष्यस्य

• तत्त्वम्: principle/reality
• तत्त्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तत्त्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• यज: worship/sacrifice to
• यज: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: यज् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• पञ्चाननम्: the five-faced (one)
• पञ्चाननम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्च + आनन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• परम्: supreme
• परम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण (adjective) पञ्चाननम् इति विशेष्यस्य

Speaker

Deductively: Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) tīra

Type: river

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A Narmadā-bank shrine with a five-faced Śiva icon; a sādhaka seated on kuśa grass, counting rudrākṣa beads, with a palm-leaf manuscript nearby; offerings of bilva leaves and a small lamp; river flowing behind.

Characters & Entities

• Pañcānana (Śiva)
• Pañcākṣarī mantra (Namaḥ Śivāya)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Liberating practice is multi-limbed: scriptural study, mantra-japa, contemplation of tattva, and worship of Śiva.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The instruction is delivered within Revā Khaṇḍa, associated with the sanctity of the Revā/Narmadā sacred landscape.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Japa of the pañcākṣarī mantra (Namaḥ Śivāya), along with study/recitation and worship of Pañcānana Śiva.