Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 37

Devanagari script

जजाप परमं जाप्यं नान्यत्र कुरुते श्रमम् । ततो माता निरीक्ष्यैव सपत्नीतनयांस्तथा

Transliteration

jajāpa paramaṃ jāpyaṃ nānyatra kurute śramam | tato mātā nirīkṣyaiva sapatnītanayāṃstathā

Translation

彼は最上のジャパにふさわしい真言をひたすら誦し、ほかのことには労を払わなかった。すると母は、もう一人の妻（サパトニー）の子らをも目にするだけで、胸を痛めた。

Word by Word

• जजाप: he recited
• जजाप: क्रिया (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जप् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect); प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd); एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• परमम्: supreme
• परमम्: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd); एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifies ‘jāpyaṃ’)

• जाप्यम्: a mantra to be recited
• जाप्यम्: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जप् (धातु) + यत् (कृदन्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: कृदन्त (gerundive/यत्: ‘to be recited’); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन

• न: not
• न: निषेध (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation particle)

• अन्यत्र: elsewhere
• अन्यत्र: अधिकरण (Adverbial/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अन्यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देश/विषयवाचक (adverb: elsewhere)

• कुरुते: does/makes
• कुरुते: क्रिया (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present); प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd); एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• श्रमम्: effort
• श्रमम्: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd); एकवचन

• ततः: then/thereupon
• ततः: सम्बन्ध/अधिकरण (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तस्मात्-अर्थे (ablatival adverb: then/from that)

• माता: the mother
• माता: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st); एकवचन

• निरीक्ष्य: having looked
• निरीक्ष्य: क्रियाविशेषण (Adverbial participle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नि + ईक्ष् (धातु) + ल्यप् (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त/ल्यपन्त अव्यय (absolutive/gerund); पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (prior action)

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: अवधारण (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (emphatic particle)

• सपत्नी-तनयान्: the co-wife’s sons
• सपत्नी-तनयान्: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सपत्नी (प्रातिपदिक) + तनय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd); बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (सपत्न्याः तनयाः)

• तथा: likewise/thus
• तथा: क्रियाविशेषण (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (adverb: thus/likewise)

Speaker

Unnamed narrator (contextual Purāṇic narrator within Māheśvarakhaṇḍa; likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Harikandira (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A young ascetic-like householder seated near the Hari-temple, absorbed in japa with mālā; in the background, the mother watches anxiously, glancing toward the co-wife’s sons.

Characters & Entities

• Aitareya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Single-pointed japa is depicted as a powerful discipline, yet the narrative also shows how worldly comparison and household rivalry can cloud the mind.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is named in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Japa of a “parama jāpya” (supreme mantra) is mentioned, though the mantra itself is not specified.