Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

वैदिकं लौकिकं वापि जाप्यं जप्तं नरेश्वर । तत्क्षणाद्दहते सर्वं तृणं तु ज्वलनो यथा

Transliteration

vaidikaṃ laukikaṃ vāpi jāpyaṃ japtaṃ nareśvara | tatkṣaṇāddahate sarvaṃ tṛṇaṃ tu jvalano yathā

Translation

Ô seigneur des hommes, que le japa soit védique ou profane, une fois récité il brûle tout à l’instant, comme le feu consume l’herbe sèche.

Word by Word

• वैदिकम्: Vedic
• वैदिकम्: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वैदिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• लौकिकम्: worldly/secular
• लौकिकम्: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लौकिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन

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

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

• जाप्यम्: to be recited (as japa)
• जाप्यम्: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जाप्य (प्रातिपदिक; √जप् (धातु) + ण्यत्/यत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; विधेय/योग्यतार्थक कृदन्त (fit to be muttered)

• जप्तम्: recited/muttered
• जप्तम्: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √जप् (धातु) + क्त (जप्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त

• नरेश्वर: O lord of men (king)
• नरेश्वर: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन

• तत्क्षणात्: from that very moment
• तत्क्षणात्: Apadana (Ablative/source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + क्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

• दहते: burns up/destroys
• दहते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √दह् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• सर्वम्: all (of it)
• सर्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• तृणम्: straw/grass
• तृणम्: Upamana (Standard of comparison/उपमान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तृण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• तु: indeed/and
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle)

• ज्वलनः: fire
• ज्वलनः: Upameya (Thing compared/उपमेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्वलन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• यथा: as/like
• यथा: Sambandha (Comparison marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमानवाचक-अव्यय (comparative particle)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) tīrtha

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Nareśvara / Pāṇḍava addressee

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee chanting with a small sacred fire (homa-agni) nearby; dry grass bundles symbolically ignite and vanish, representing sins consumed by japa.

Characters & Entities

• Nareśvara (King/listener)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sincere mantra-recitation is portrayed as immediately transformative, consuming impurity like fire consuming fuel.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The statement supports the mahatmya of the Bhīmeśvara-related tīrtha where such japa is recommended.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Japa (repetitive recitation) of mantras—Vedic or otherwise—is endorsed as a purificatory discipline.