Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 7

Devanagari script

कोटीनां त्रितयं येन त्र्यंबको मंत्रनायकः । जप्तो दिव्येन विधिना त्रिकालं पूज्य शंकरम्

Transliteration

koṭīnāṃ tritayaṃ yena tryaṃbako maṃtranāyakaḥ | japto divyena vidhinā trikālaṃ pūjya śaṃkaram

Translation

Par lui fut récité le mantra Tryambaka—chef parmi les mantras—trois crores de fois, selon un rite divin, tout en vénérant Śaṅkara aux trois temps du jour.

Word by Word

• कोटीनाम्: of crores
• कोटीनाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कोटि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन

• त्रितयम्: a triad, threefold set
• त्रितयम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रितय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• येन: by whom
• येन: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे/नपुंसकलिङ्गे, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; करणवाचक (by whom/whereby)

• त्र्यंबकः: Tryambaka (Śiva)
• त्र्यंबकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्र्यंबक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• मंत्र: mantra
• मंत्र: Upapada (compound member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, समासपूर्वपदत्वेन अव्यक्तविभक्तिकम् (stem-form)

• नायकः: leader, chief
• नायकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नायक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: मन्त्राणां नायकः

• जप्तः: was recited
• जप्तः: Kriyā (Predicate participle/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जप् (धातु) + त (क्त) → जप्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि (past passive participle)

• दिव्येन: divine
• दिव्येन: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दिव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्गे, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; विधिना-विशेषणम्

• विधिना: by method, by rite
• विधिना: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन

• त्रिकालम्: at the three times (daily)
• त्रिकालम्: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Temporal/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: त्रि (संख्या) + काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावसमासः; क्रियाविशेषणम् (adverbial accusative sense): त्रिषु कालेषु

• पूज्य: having worshipped
• पूज्य: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूज् (धातु) + यत् (कृत्) → पूज्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्त्वा-समकक्षं तुमुनर्थे/ल्यप्-प्रयोगः (absolutive/gerund sense: having worshipped)

• शंकरम्: Śaṅkara (Śiva)
• शंकरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शंकर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Tryambakeśvara (Prabhāsa)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī (Pārvatī)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Ṛṣi Guru performing tri-kāla worship before Śaṅkara: sunrise, midday, and dusk shown in a triptych; rosary in hand, fire-offering or lamp, and the Tryambakeśvara liṅga present; the enormity of ‘three crores’ suggested by heaps of counted beads or celestial tally marks.

Characters & Entities

• Tryambaka mantra
• Śaṅkara
• Guru (implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Steady discipline—vast japa with regular tri-kāla worship—draws divine grace and establishes spiritual authority.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Tryambakeśvara’s sacred zone in Prabhāsa-kṣetra, where the Tryambaka mantra-sādhana is praised.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform japa of the Tryambaka mantra (three crores as the exemplar) with proper vidhi, and worship Śaṅkara three times daily (tri-kāla).