Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

उदुत्यमिति मन्त्रेण पूजयित्वा दिवाकरम् । गायत्रीं च जपेद्देवीं पवित्रां वेदमातरम्

Transliteration

udutyamiti mantreṇa pūjayitvā divākaram | gāyatrīṃ ca japeddevīṃ pavitrāṃ vedamātaram

Translation

‘ഉദു ത്യം…’ മന്ത്രം ചൊല്ലി സൂര്യദേവനെ പൂജിച്ച ശേഷം, പവിത്രയായ വേദമാതാവായ ദേവി ഗായത്രിയെ ജപിക്കണം।

Word by Word

• उदुत्यम्: (the mantra-word) “udutyam”
• उदुत्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उदुत्य (प्रातिपदिक; मन्त्रपद)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; मन्त्रपद-रूपेण

• इति: thus/so (quoting)
• इति: Sambandha (Marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; इति-शब्दः (quotative/इत्यर्थक)

• मन्त्रेण: with the mantra
• मन्त्रेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; instrumental

• पूजयित्वा: having worshipped
• पूजयित्वा: Kriya (Prior action/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पूज् (धातु) + क्त्वा (अव्ययकृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (absolutive/gerund); पूर्वक्रिया

• दिवाकरम्: the Sun
• दिवाकरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिवाकर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• गायत्रीम्: Gāyatrī (mantra/deity)
• गायत्रीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गायत्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

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

• देवीम्: the goddess
• देवीम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; apposition to गायत्रीम्

• पवित्राम्: pure/holy
• पवित्राम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पवित्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifier)

• वेदमातरम्: mother of the Vedas
• वेदमातरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेद + मातृ (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (वेदस्य माता)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) tīrthas (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A twice-born worshipper at a riverbank at sandhyā: rising sun, copper vessel for arghya, sacred thread visible, calm river (Revā) behind; subtle presence of Gāyatrī as radiant Vedic mother.

Characters & Entities

• Divākara (Sun)
• Ud u tyam mantra
• Gāyatrī
• Veda

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sandhyā devotion centers on honoring the Sun and sustaining purity through Gāyatrī, revered as Veda-mother.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The instruction belongs to Revā Khaṇḍa’s sacred-river dharma setting rather than naming a single tirtha in this verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Worship the Sun using the ‘Ud u tyam…’ mantra, then perform Gāyatrī-japa.