Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 65

Devanagari script

विधिहीनो जपेन्नित्यं वेदान्सर्वाञ्छतं समाः । मृत्युलाङ्गलजाप्येन समो योऽप्यधिको गुणैः

Transliteration

vidhihīno japennityaṃ vedānsarvāñchataṃ samāḥ | mṛtyulāṅgalajāpyena samo yo'pyadhiko guṇaiḥ

Translation

Quand bien même un homme, privé de la juste observance rituelle, réciterait chaque jour tous les Veda durant cent ans, son fruit ne serait qu’égal —tout au plus— au mérite né du japa du mantra Mṛtyu-lāṅgala ; en vérité, ce japa le surpasse en excellence.

Word by Word

• विधिहीनः: one devoid of prescribed rite
• विधिहीनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विधि (प्रातिपदिक) + हीन (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (विधिना हीनः = 'devoid of rule/rite')

• जपेत्: should recite
• जपेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जप् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• नित्यम्: always
• नित्यम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

• वेदान्: the Vedas
• वेदान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन

• सर्वान्: all
• सर्वान्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (वेदान्)

• शतम्: a hundred
• शतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; संख्यावाचक (numeral)

• समाः: years
• समाः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन; 'समाः' = years

• मृत्युलाङ्गलजाप्येन: by the recitation of the Mṛtyu-lāṅgala (mantra)
• मृत्युलाङ्गलजाप्येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृत्यु (प्रातिपदिक) + लाङ्गल (प्रातिपदिक) + जाप्य (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; समासः (तत्पुरुषः) — 'मृत्यु-लाङ्गल-जाप्य' = 'the recitation of the Mṛtyu-lāṅgala (mantra)'

• समः: equal
• समः: Pradhana-visheshana (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विधेयविशेषणम् (predicate adjective)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative pronoun)

• अपि: even/also
• अपि: Sambandha/Emphasis (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle)

• अधिकः: superior
• अधिकः: Pradhana-visheshana (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अधिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विधेयविशेषणम्

• गुणैः: by virtues/qualities
• गुणैः: Karana/Hetu (Means/Reason)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), बहुवचन

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya (continuing)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) tirtha milieu (Revākhaṇḍa)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sādhaka on the sandy bank of the Revā at dawn, rosary in hand, with a subtle vision of a plough-like emblem (lāṅgala) and a protective Śiva-Rudra aura signifying ‘mṛtyu-jaya’ power; distant pilgrims and river shimmer.

Characters & Entities

• Vedas
• Mṛtyu-lāṅgala (mantra/rite)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Certain empowered japa traditions are praised as extraordinarily potent—sometimes exceeding lengthy but improperly performed recitations.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The chapter context remains Narmadā/Revā-tīra, though this verse chiefly glorifies a specific mantra-japa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Japa of the Mṛtyu-lāṅgala (mantra/recitation), presented as highly meritorious.