Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 146

Devanagari script

तज्जाप्यं परमं प्रोक्तं स्वयं देवेन भानुना । जाप्यस्य विनियोगोऽस्य लक्षणं च निबोध मे । स्तोभसारं श्वासलीनमोंकारादि स्मृतं बुधैः

Transliteration

tajjāpyaṃ paramaṃ proktaṃ svayaṃ devena bhānunā | jāpyasya viniyogo'sya lakṣaṇaṃ ca nibodha me | stobhasāraṃ śvāsalīnamoṃkārādi smṛtaṃ budhaiḥ

Translation

Ce japa est proclamé suprême, enseigné par Bhānu lui-même, le Soleil divin. Apprends de moi son usage et ses marques distinctives : son essence réside dans les syllabes stobha, il se fond dans le souffle, et il commence par Oṃ — ainsi s’en souviennent les sages.

Word by Word

• तत्: that
• तत्: Viśeṣaṇa (Determiner)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular)

• जाप्यम्: (that) which is to be muttered
• जाप्यम्: Karma/Pratipādya (Topic)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जाप्य (प्रातिपदिक; √जप् (धातु) + यत्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular)

• परमम्: supreme
• परमम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular)

• प्रोक्तम्: was declared
• प्रोक्तम्: Kriyā (Predicate; has been said)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वच् (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग (Past passive participle, Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular)

• स्वयम्: personally
• स्वयम्: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (Manner)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वयम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb)

• देवेन: by the god
• देवेन: Karta (Agent in passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Instrumental, Singular)

• भानुना: by Bhānu (the Sun)
• भानुना: Karta (Agent in passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भानु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Instrumental, Singular)

• जाप्यस्य: of the japa
• जाप्यस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जाप्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Genitive, Singular)

• विनियोगः: application / procedure
• विनियोगः: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विनियोग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

• अस्य: of this
• अस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी विभक्ति, एकवचन (Genitive, Singular; pronoun)

• लक्षणम्: characteristic
• लक्षणम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लक्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular)

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

• निबोध: understand / learn
• निबोध: Kriyā (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √बुध् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद (Imperative, 2nd person singular)

• मे: from me / for me
• मे: Sampradāna (Recipient)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी/चतुर्थी विभक्ति, एकवचन (Genitive/Dative, Singular; enclitic)

• स्तोभसारम्: the essence of stobha (intercalary syllables)
• स्तोभसारम्: Karma/Pratipādya (Described item)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्तोभ + सार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular); तत्पुरुष (स्तोभस्य सारम्)

• श्वासलीनम्: merged in the breath
• श्वासलीनम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्वास + लीन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (श्वासे लीनम् = absorbed in breath)

• ओंकारादि: beginning with Oṃkāra
• ओंकारादि: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ओंकार + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (ओंकारः आदिः यस्य/यत्र)

• स्मृतम्: is stated/remembered
• स्मृतम्: Kriyā (Predicate; is remembered)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √स्मृ (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग (Past passive participle)

• बुधैः: by the wise
• बुधैः: Karta (Agent in passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बुध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Masculine, Instrumental, Plural)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sage instructs pilgrims at Prabhāsa: the rising Sun (Bhānu) radiates behind, while a seated practitioner performs Oṃ-japa synchronized with breath; subtle stobha syllables are shown as musical glyphs around the head, with the sea-temple horizon of Somnātha implied.

Characters & Entities

• Bhānu (Sun)
• Oṃkāra
• Stobha
• Prāṇa/Śvāsa
• Prabhāsa-kṣetra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Mantra becomes most potent when united with prāṇa (breath) and anchored in praṇava (Oṃ), with careful attention to its traditional form.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, where such Sun-taught japa is praised as especially efficacious.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A breath-integrated japa beginning with Oṃ, centered on stobha-elements, with specific viniyoga (ritual application) and lakṣaṇa (features).