Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 45

Devanagari script

इषेत्वा दिकमन्त्रौघं ज्योतिर्ब्राह्मणमेव च । गायत्र्यं वै मधु चैव मण्डलब्राह्मणानि च

Transliteration

iṣetvā dikamantraughaṃ jyotirbrāhmaṇameva ca | gāyatryaṃ vai madhu caiva maṇḍalabrāhmaṇāni ca

Translation

—അതുപോലെ ‘ഇഷേ ത്വാ’ മുതലായ ദിക്-മന്ത്രസമൂഹം, ജ്യോതിര്ബ്രാഹ്മണം, ഗായത്രി, മധു സൂക്തങ്ങൾ, കൂടാതെ മണ്ഡലബ്രാഹ്മണങ്ങളും (പാരായണം/ജപം ചെയ്യുന്നു)।

Word by Word

• iṣetvā: having desired/undertaken
• iṣetvā: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: iṣ (धा॒तु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); ‘having desired/impelled’ (पाठानुसार)

• dik-mantra-ogham: a collection of directional mantras
• dik-mantra-ogham: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dik (प्रातिपदिक) + mantra (प्रातिपदिक) + ogha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (दिशां मन्त्राणाम् ओघः)

• jyotis-brāhmaṇam: Jyotiṣa-brāhmaṇa (text)
• jyotis-brāhmaṇam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jyotis (प्रातिपदिक) + brāhmaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (ज्योतिषः ब्राह्मणम्)

• eva: indeed/only
• eva: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारणार्थक (emphatic particle)

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

• gāyatryam: Gāyatrī (mantra)
• gāyatryam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gāyatrī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (गायत्री-मन्त्रः)

• vai: indeed
• vai: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vai (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निश्चयार्थक/अवधारणार्थक (particle)

• madhu: Madhu (hymn/text)
• madhu: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: madhu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (विशेष-नाम/मधुसूक्तादि)

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

• eva: also/indeed
• eva: Sambandha (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारणार्थक (emphatic particle)

• maṇḍala-brāhmaṇāni: Maṇḍala-brāhmaṇas (texts)
• maṇḍala-brāhmaṇāni: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: maṇḍala (प्रातिपदिक) + brāhmaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (मण्डलानां ब्राह्मणानि)

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

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Revā Khaṇḍa narrative style within Skanda Purāṇa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim-priest performs a protective directional invocation (turning to the quarters) then sits for Gāyatrī-japa; behind him are symbolic dikpālas at the edges of the composition, and a luminous ‘jyotis’ aura above the shrine.

Characters & Entities

• Gāyatrī
• Brāhmaṇa texts
• Mantras

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The verse emphasizes disciplined sacred recitation—especially foundational mantras like Gāyatrī—as a path of merit.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This is situated within the Revā Khaṇḍa’s praise of Revā-kṣetra (the Narmadā sacred landscape).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Japa/recitation of specified Vedic mantra-collections and revered sections including Gāyatrī.