Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 23

Devanagari script

ऋचमेकां जपन्विप्रस्तथा पर्वणि यो नृप । अनृचोपोष्य गायत्रीं जपेद्वै वेदमातरम्

Transliteration

ṛcamekāṃ japanviprastathā parvaṇi yo nṛpa | anṛcopoṣya gāyatrīṃ japedvai vedamātaram

Translation

ഹേ രാജാവേ! പർവ്വദിനങ്ങളിൽ ഒരു ഋച് പോലും ജപിക്കുന്ന ബ്രാഹ്മണൻ ധന്യനാകുന്നു. ഋചകൾ പാരായണം ചെയ്യാൻ കഴിയാത്തവൻ ഉപവാസം അനുഷ്ഠിച്ച് വേദമാതാവായ ഗായത്രിയെ നിശ്ചയമായി ജപിക്കണം.

Word by Word

• ऋचम्: a ṛk-verse (Vedic hymn-verse)
• ऋचम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋच् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन (Feminine, Accusative, Singular)

• एकाम्: one
• एकाम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (Feminine, Accusative, Singular; adjective)

• जपन्: reciting, muttering
• जपन्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जप् (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमान-कृदन्त (शतृ), प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन, पुंलिङ्ग; कर्तरि (Present active participle; Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

• विप्रः: a brāhmaṇa
• विप्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

• तथा: thus, likewise
• तथा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (indeclinable adverb of manner)

• पर्वणि: on the (lunar) festival day / parvan
• पर्वणि: Adhikarana (Location/Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर्वन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन (Neuter, Locative, Singular)

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक (relative pronoun) (Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

• नृप: O king
• नृप: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Vocative, Singular)

• अनृचः: without (reciting) a ṛk / not reciting a ṛk
• अनृचः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनृच् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (Masculine, Nominative, Singular; adjective)

• उपोष्य: having fasted
• उपोष्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उपवस् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (अव्ययभाव) absolutive; पूर्वक्रिया (gerund) (Absolutive/gerund: 'having fasted')

• गायत्रीम्: Gāyatrī (mantra)
• गायत्रीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गायत्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Feminine, Accusative, Singular)

• जपेत्: should recite
• जपेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जप् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद (Optative, 3rd person, Singular, Parasmaipada)

• वै: indeed
• वै: Nipata (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निश्चयार्थक निपात (indeclinable particle of emphasis)

• वेदमातरम्: the Mother of the Vedas
• वेदमातरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेद + मातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष समास (वेदस्य माता); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Genitive tatpurusha; Feminine, Accusative, Singular)

Speaker

Śiva (as narrator of tīrtha-māhātmya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dhautapāpa

Type: tirtha

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: A king (nṛpa)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A brāhmaṇa at a riverbank tīrtha on a parvan day, seated on kuśa grass, performing upavāsa and softly repeating a single ṛc; beside him a disciple holds a water-pot; the river glows with twilight light, suggesting sandhyā and Gāyatrī as Veda-mātā.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Revā (Narmadā)
• Dhautapāpa Tīrtha
• Gāyatrī
• Vedas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even minimal, sincere mantra practice—especially on sacred days—carries great purificatory power.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The teaching occurs within the Dhautapāpa Tīrtha māhātmya of the Revā Khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Japa of a single Vedic ṛc on parvan days; alternatively, fasting and Gāyatrī-japa for those unable to recite Vedic hymns.