Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

स्वशाखोत्पन्नमन्त्रैश्च जपं कुर्युर्द्विजातयः । सावित्र्यष्टसहस्रं तु शताष्टकमथापि वा

Transliteration

svaśākhotpannamantraiśca japaṃ kuryurdvijātayaḥ | sāvitryaṣṭasahasraṃ tu śatāṣṭakamathāpi vā

Translation

Les deux-fois-nés doivent accomplir le japa avec les mantras issus de leur propre branche védique. En particulier, qu’ils récitent la Sāvitrī huit mille fois, ou bien cent huit fois.

Word by Word

• स्वशाखोत्पन्नमन्त्रैः: with mantras arisen from one’s own branch (Vedic recension)
• स्वशाखोत्पन्नमन्त्रैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व (प्रातिपदिक) + शाखा (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्पन्न (कृदन्त, √पद्/√पद्-उत्) + मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (स्वशाखायाम् उत्पन्नाः मन्त्राः)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction)

• जपम्: recitation (japa)
• जपम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• कुर्युः: should do
• कुर्युः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• द्विजातयः: the twice-born (Brahmins etc.)
• द्विजातयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विजाति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/कर्ता), बहुवचन

• सावित्री-अष्टसहस्रम्: eight thousand (recitations) of the Sāvitrī
• सावित्री-अष्टसहस्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सावित्री (प्रातिपदिक) + अष्ट (संख्या) + सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; समासः—द्विगु (अष्ट सहस्राणि = 8000)

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण/विरोधार्थक-निपात (particle)

• शताष्टकम्: eight hundreds (i.e., 800)
• शताष्टकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत (प्रातिपदिक) + अष्टक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (शतानाम् अष्टकं = 800)

• अथ: or else/then
• अथ: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अनन्तरार्थक-अव्यय (then/now)

• अपि: also/even
• अपि: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपेक्षार्थक-अव्यय (also/even)

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-अव्यय (disjunctive particle)

Speaker

Īśvara (Śiva)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: nṛpaśreṣṭha (best of kings)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A dvija seated on kuśa-grass by the riverbank, performing japa with a mālā; subtle aura of the Sāvitrī mantra as a radiant sun-disc behind, with Vedic palm-leaf/śākhā symbols nearby.

Characters & Entities

• Sāvitrī (Gāyatrī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Spiritual practice is strengthened by faithful adherence to one’s Vedic lineage and disciplined mantra-japa.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The japa instruction is part of the observance connected to the Mārkaṇḍeśvara cave-liṅga in Revākhaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Japa with one’s śākhā mantras; specifically Sāvitrī japa of 8000 repetitions or alternatively 108.