Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

द्रुपदाख्यश्च यो मन्त्रो वेदे वाजसनेयके । अन्तर्जले सकृज्जप्तः सर्वपापक्षयंकरः

Transliteration

drupadākhyaśca yo mantro vede vājasaneyake | antarjale sakṛjjaptaḥ sarvapāpakṣayaṃkaraḥ

Translation

വാജസനേയി വേദത്തിലെ ‘ദ്രുപദ’ എന്ന പ്രസിദ്ധ മന്ത്രം, ജലത്തിനുള്ളിൽ നിന്നുകൊണ്ട് ഒരിക്കൽ ജപിച്ചാലും സർവ്വപാപക്ഷയം വരുത്തുന്നു.

Word by Word

• द्रुपदाख्यः: named ‘Drupada’
• द्रुपदाख्यः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्रुपद (प्रातिपदिक) + आख्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः द्रुपद-आख्यः (नाम्ना द्रुपद इति) — ‘मन्त्रः’ इति विशेषण

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-बोधक अव्यय

• यः: which
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सम्बन्धक

• मन्त्रः: mantra
• मन्त्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• वेदे: in the Veda
• वेदे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन

• वाजसनेयके: in the Vājasaneyaka (Yajurveda recension)
• वाजसनेयके: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वाजसनेयक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘वेदे’ इति विशेषण (in the Vājasaneyaka)

• अन्तर्जले: in water (while immersed)
• अन्तर्जले: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्तर्जल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन; समासः अन्तर्+जल (तत्पुरुष)

• सकृत्: once
• सकृत्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सकृत् (अव्यय)
• Form: काल/परिमाणवाचक-अव्यय (once)

• जप्तः: recited
• जप्तः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जप्त (कृदन्त; √जप् धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मणि-भाव (having been recited) — ‘मन्त्रः’ इति विशेषण

• सर्वपापक्षयङ्करः: causing the destruction of all sins
• सर्वपापक्षयङ्करः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + पाप (प्रातिपदिक) + क्षय (प्रातिपदिक) + कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः (सर्वेषां पापानां क्षयः तं करोति) — ‘मन्त्रः’ इति विशेषण

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from the prescriptive catalog of mantras/rites in Revā Khaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) — antar-jala mantra-japa

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee stands midstream, water swirling around, hands joined in japa posture; luminous syllables rise like light from the mouth/heart as the ‘Drupada’ mantra is uttered once, and shadowy impurities dissolve into the current.

Characters & Entities

• Vājasaneyi Veda (Śukla Yajurveda)
• Drupada mantra
• Jala (water)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Vedic mantra-japa joined with sacred water practice is portrayed as a powerful purifier.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Revā/Narmadā milieu is implied through the instruction to recite while in water, consistent with Revā Khaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Recite the ‘Drupada’ mantra (Vājasaneyi Veda) once while immersed/standing in water.