Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 89

Devanagari script

गायत्रीं शिरसा हीनां महाव्याहृतिपूर्व्विकाम् । प्रणवाद्यां जपंस्तिष्ठन्क्षिपेदंभोंजलि त्रयम्

Transliteration

gāyatrīṃ śirasā hīnāṃ mahāvyāhṛtipūrvvikām | praṇavādyāṃ japaṃstiṣṭhankṣipedaṃbhoṃjali trayam

Translation

എഴുന്നേറ്റു നിന്ന്, പ്രണവവും (ഓം) മഹാവ്യാഹൃതികളും ചേർന്ന, ശിരസ്സ് ഭാഗമില്ലാത്ത ഗായത്രി ജപിച്ചുകൊണ്ട് മൂന്ന് അഞ്ജലി വെള്ളം അർപ്പിക്കണം.

Word by Word

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

• शिरसा: with the head
• शिरसा: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• हीनाम्: devoid of
• हीनाम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हीन (प्रातिपदिक; √हा, क्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त विशेषण (गायत्रीम्)

• महाव्याहृतिपूर्विकाम्: preceded by the great vyāhṛtis
• महाव्याहृतिपूर्विकाम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + व्याहृति (प्रातिपदिक) + पूर्विका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—महाव्याहृतयः पूर्वं यस्याः सा (बहुपद-तत्पुरुष/निर्देश: 'preceded by the great vyāhṛtis')

• प्रणवाद्याम्: beginning with the praṇava (Oṃ)
• प्रणवाद्याम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रणव (प्रातिपदिक) + आद्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः—प्रणवः आदिः यस्याः सा (तत्पुरुष: 'beginning with praṇava')

• जपन्: reciting
• जपन्: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √जप् (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमान-कृदन्त (present participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• तिष्ठन्: standing
• तिष्ठन्: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √स्था (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमान-कृदन्त, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• क्षिपेत्: should throw/cast
• क्षिपेत्: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √क्षिप् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• अम्भः: water
• अम्भः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अम्भस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• अञ्जलि: handful (añjali)
• अञ्जलि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अञ्जलि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; (अञ्जलिं—acc sg; पाठे 'अञ्जलि' सन्ध्यभावेन)

• त्रयम्: three
• त्रयम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; संख्यावाचक विशेषण (अञ्जलि/अञ्जलिं)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Dharmāraṇya-khaṇḍa narrative style within Brahmakhaṇḍa)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: ghat

Visual Art Cues

Scene: At dawn or dusk, a practitioner stands facing the sun, reciting Gāyatrī with focused gaze, then offers three arghyas—three arcs of water glittering in the light.

Characters & Entities

• Gāyatrī
• Praṇava (Oṃ)
• Mahāvyāhṛti (great utterances)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purification is secured through disciplined mantra-recitation (Gāyatrī with vyāhṛtis and Oṃ) coupled with a reverent water-offering.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific locality is named; the instruction is portable and aligns with tīrtha-dharma as practiced anywhere.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Standing, recite Gāyatrī (without the Śiras), preceded by Mahāvyāhṛtis and beginning with Praṇava, then offer/cast three añjalis of water.