Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 27

Devanagari script

संमंत्र्याघोरमंत्रेण ध्यात्वा देवं सदाशिवम् । एवं कृत्वा महादेवि मुच्यते पंचपातकैः

Transliteration

saṃmaṃtryāghoramaṃtreṇa dhyātvā devaṃ sadāśivam | evaṃ kṛtvā mahādevi mucyate paṃcapātakaiḥ

Translation

Après avoir dûment invoqué par le mantra Aghora et médité sur le Seigneur Sadāśiva, ô Mahādevī, en agissant ainsi on est délivré des cinq grands péchés.

Word by Word

• सम्-मन्त्र्य: having recited/uttered
• सम्-मन्त्र्य: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + मन्त्र् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive), अव्ययभाव; ‘सम्यक् मन्त्रयित्वा/जपित्वा’ इत्यर्थे

• अघोर-मन्त्रेण: with the Aghora mantra
• अघोर-मन्त्रेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अघोर (प्रातिपदिक) + मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; ‘अघोरः मन्त्रः’ इति कर्मधारयार्थेऽपि प्रचलितम्

• ध्यात्वा: having meditated
• ध्यात्वा: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ध्यै (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive), अव्ययभाव

• देवम्: the god
• देवम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• सदा-शिवम्: Sadāśiva
• सदा-शिवम्: Karman (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सदा (अव्यय) + शिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘सदा शिवः’ इति कर्मधारय (proper name)

• एवम्: thus
• एवम्: Sambandha (adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (thus/in this manner)

• कृत्वा: having done (so)
• कृत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive), अव्ययभाव

• महादेवि: O Mahādevī
• महादेवि: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महादेवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन

• मुच्यते: is freed
• मुच्यते: Kriya (Verb/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुच् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम्; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive)

• पञ्च-पातकैः: from the five sins
• पञ्च-पातकैः: Apadana (Ablative sense via instrumental/वियोग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्च (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + पातक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; द्विगु-समास (five sins)

Speaker

Śiva (addressing Mahādevī/Pārvatī explicitly)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra (Somnātha)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Mahādevī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A worshipper seated before the liṅga at night, hands in añjali, a subtle aura around the liṅga as the Aghora mantra is invoked; Sadāśiva visualized—five-faced, serene, moon-crested—appearing in meditation space above the shrine; the atmosphere is still and purifying.

Characters & Entities

• Aghora Mantra
• Sadāśiva
• Mahādevī
• Pañcapātaka

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purification is achieved through disciplined mantra-recitation and contemplative absorption in Sadāśiva, not merely by external acts.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa Kṣetra’s liṅga-worship context, where mantra and meditation are said to yield powerful purification.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Ritual invocation/japa of the Aghora mantra and dhyāna of Sadāśiva, resulting in release from pañcapātakas.