Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 8

Devanagari script

तत्रादौ जपयज्ञस्य फलं स्वस्त्ययनं महत् । शैवं षडक्षरं दिव्यं मंत्रमाहुर्महर्षयः

Transliteration

tatrādau japayajñasya phalaṃ svastyayanaṃ mahat | śaivaṃ ṣaḍakṣaraṃ divyaṃ maṃtramāhurmaharṣayaḥ

Translation

അവിടെ ആദ്യം ജപയജ്ഞത്തിന്റെ ഫലം മഹത്തായ സ്വസ്ത്യയനം—മംഗളക്ഷേമം; മഹർഷിമാർ ദിവ്യമായ ശൈവ ഷഡക്ഷര മന്ത്രം പ്രസ്താവിക്കുന്നു।

Word by Word

• तत्र: there; in that context
• तत्र: Adhikarana (Adverbial location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• आदौ: at the beginning
• आदौ: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/Locative), एकवचन; 'in the beginning'

• जपयज्ञस्य: of the japa-sacrifice
• जपयज्ञस्य: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जप + यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक); जपयज्ञ (समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष

• फलम्: fruit; result
• फलम्: Karta/Predicate-noun (कर्ता/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• स्वस्त्ययनम्: auspiciousness; well-being rite
• स्वस्त्ययनम्: Apposition/Predicate-noun (विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वस्ति + अयन (प्रातिपदिक); स्वस्त्ययन (समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (स्वस्तेः अयनम्/स्वस्त्यर्थम्)

• महत्: great
• महत्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• शैवम्: Śaiva; pertaining to Śiva
• शैवम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शैव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; 'Śiva-related'

• षडक्षरम्: six-syllabled
• षडक्षरम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: षट् + अक्षर (प्रातिपदिक); षडक्षर (समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; द्विगु/तत्पुरुषार्थ (षड्-अक्षराणि यस्य)

• दिव्यम्: divine
• दिव्यम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दिव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• मन्त्रम्: mantra
• मन्त्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• आहुः: they say
• आहुः: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अह्/ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• महर्षयः: great sages
• महर्षयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महर्षि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

Speaker

Sūta

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis (implied)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A revelatory moment: sages (mahārṣis) declare a luminous six-syllabled Śaiva mantra; a subtle radiance emanates from a japa-mālā or from the syllables themselves.

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Maharṣis
• Śiva
• Ṣaḍakṣara (oṃ namaḥ śivāya)
• Japa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The sure beginning of spiritual welfare is mantra-japa, especially the Śaiva ṣaḍakṣara revered by sages.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No geographic tīrtha is named; the mantra itself functions as a universal purifier across all places.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Practice of japa is recommended, centered on the divine six-syllabled Śiva mantra (commonly “oṃ namaḥ śivāya”).