Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 35

Devanagari script

धर्मार्थकाममोक्षाश्च नमस्कारप्रदानतः । अष्टैश्वर्यादिसिद्धीनां जप एव हि कारणम्

Transliteration

dharmārthakāmamokṣāśca namaskārapradānataḥ | aṣṭaiśvaryādisiddhīnāṃ japa eva hi kāraṇam

Translation

Dharma, artha, kāma et même mokṣa naissent de l’offrande de salutations révérencieuses; et pour les siddhi, tels les huit pouvoirs seigneuriaux (aṣṭaiśvarya), le japa seul est véritablement la cause.

Word by Word

• धर्मार्थकाममोक्षाः: dharma, artha, kāma, and mokṣa
• धर्मार्थकाममोक्षाः: Phala (Result/फल)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म-अर्थ-काम-मोक्ष (प्रातिपदिक; धर्म + अर्थ + काम + मोक्ष)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व (enumerative copulative)

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

• नमस्कारप्रदानतः: from offering salutations
• नमस्कारप्रदानतः: Hetu/Apadana (Cause/Source/हेतु/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नमस्कार-प्रदान (प्रातिपदिक; नमस्कार + प्रदान)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी, एकवचन; हेतुवाचक

• अष्टैश्वर्यादिसिद्धीनाम्: of the eight powers and other attainments
• अष्टैश्वर्यादिसिद्धीनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अष्ट-ऐश्वर्य-आदि-सिद्धि (प्रातिपदिक; अष्ट + ऐश्वर्य + आदि + सिद्धि)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन; सम्बन्ध (genitive)

• जपः: japa (repetition)
• जपः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• एव: indeed, only
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• हि: indeed, for
• हि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चय/हेतौ निपात (particle: indeed/for)

• कारणम्: cause, means
• कारणम्: Karya-karana-bhava (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कारण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विधेय (predicate nominative)

Speaker

Unspecified in snippet (didactic narrator within Brahmottarakhaṇḍa context)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee performs full prostration (namaskāra) before Śiva; beside them a japa-mālā and a calm seated posture suggests sustained mantra repetition; subtle aura hints at siddhi yet grounded in serenity.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Humble reverence supports all human aims, while steady mantra-japa is singled out as the engine of higher spiritual powers.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is specified; the verse is a general teaching on sādhanā (namaskāra and japa).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Practice namaskāra (reverent salutations) and undertake japa (mantra repetition) for siddhi.