Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 71

Devanagari script

अशेषवेदोपनिषत्पुराणशास्त्रावतंसोऽयमघांतकारी । पंचाक्षरस्यैव महाप्रभावो मया समासात्कथितो वरिष्ठः

Transliteration

aśeṣavedopaniṣatpurāṇaśāstrāvataṃso'yamaghāṃtakārī | paṃcākṣarasyaiva mahāprabhāvo mayā samāsātkathito variṣṭhaḥ

Translation

ഈ ഉപദേശം സർവ്വ വേദ-ഉപനിഷത്-പുരാണ-ശാസ്ത്രങ്ങളുടെ ശിരോഭൂഷണവും പാപനാശകവുമാണ്. ഹേ ശ്രേഷ്ഠനേ, പഞ്ചാക്ഷരത്തിന്റെ മഹാപ്രഭാവം ഞാൻ സംക്ഷേപമായി പറഞ്ഞു.

Word by Word

• अशेषवेदोपनिषत्पुराणशास्त्रावतंसः: the crest-jewel of all Vedas, Upaniṣads, Purāṇas and Śāstras
• अशेषवेदोपनिषत्पुराणशास्त्रावतंसः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अशेष + वेद + उपनिषद् + पुराण + शास्त्र + अवतंस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुष (अशेषेषु वेदोपनिषत्पुराणशास्त्रेषु अवतंसः/शिरोमणिः)

• अयम्: this
• अयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अघान्तकारी: destroyer of sins
• अघान्तकारी: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अघ + अन्त + कारिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (अघस्य अन्तं करोति इति) विशेषण

• पञ्चाक्षरस्य: of the five-syllabled (mantra)
• पञ्चाक्षरस्य: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्च + अक्षर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; द्विगु-समास

• एव: indeed; alone
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle/emphasis)

• महाप्रभावः: great power; great efficacy
• महाप्रभावः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + प्रभाव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय (महान् प्रभावः)

• मया: by me
• मया: Kartr-karana (Agent-instrument/कर्ता-करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-विभक्ति (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• समासात्: briefly; in summary
• समासात्: Kriya-vishesana (Manner/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: समास (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; अव्ययीभावार्थे ‘संक्षेपेण’ इत्यर्थः

• कथितः: has been told; was described
• कथितः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कथ् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (महाप्रभावः इति विषयः)

• वरिष्ठः: O best (one) / most excellent
• वरिष्ठः: Sambodhana-arthaka (Appositive/सम्बोधनार्थ)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वरिष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अतिशय-विशेषण (superlative)

Speaker

Śrī Guru (concluding praise)

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Variṣṭha/Rājendra (king)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The sage, like a teacher concluding a discourse, holds a manuscript; above him appear symbolic layers—Vedas, Upaniṣads, Purāṇas—converging into the five-syllabled mantra shining like a crown.

Characters & Entities

• Pañcākṣara
• Śiva

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Pañcākṣarī is upheld as a supreme, scripturally endorsed means for destroying sin and establishing dharmic purity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is glorified; the verse glorifies the mantra itself as a universal purifier.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicit prescription: devotionally practice the Pañcākṣara (Śaiva Pañcākṣarī) as a principal sādhanā for purification.