Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 7

Devanagari script

गायत्र्यादिमहामंत्रजपैर्नियमपूर्वकम् । चतुर्णामपि वेदानामावृत्त्या शतसंख्यया

Transliteration

gāyatryādimahāmaṃtrajapairniyamapūrvakam | caturṇāmapi vedānāmāvṛttyā śatasaṃkhyayā

Translation

നിയമപൂർവ്വം ഗായത്രി മുതലായ മഹാമന്ത്രങ്ങൾ ജപിച്ച്, നാലു വേദങ്ങളും നൂറു പ്രാവശ്യം ആവർത്തിച്ചാൽ ലഭിക്കുന്ന പുണ്യം തന്നെയാണിവിടെ പ്രസ്താവിക്കുന്നത്।

Word by Word

• गायत्री-आदि-महा-मन्त्र-जपैः: by (means of) repetitions of great mantras such as the Gāyatrī
• गायत्री-आदि-महा-मन्त्र-जपैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गायत्री (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक) + महा (प्रातिपदिक) + मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक) + जप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (गायत्र्यादयः महान्तः मन्त्राः तेषां जपाः)

• नियम-पूर्वकम्: with prescribed observances (as a prerequisite)
• नियम-पूर्वकम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नियम (प्रातिपदिक) + पूर्वक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/कर्म), एकवचन; अव्ययीभावार्थे प्रयोगः—‘नियमपूर्वकं (कृतम्)’ = with observances as a prerequisite

• चतुर्णाम्: of four
• चतुर्णाम्: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन; संख्याविशेषण

• अपि: also/even
• अपि: Sambandha/Emphasis (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle)

• वेदानाम्: of the Vedas
• वेदानाम्: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन

• आवृत्त्या: by repetition/recitation
• आवृत्त्या: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आवृत्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन

• शत-संख्यया: in the number of a hundred (i.e., a hundred times)
• शत-संख्यया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत (प्रातिपदिक) + संख्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (शतं संख्या यस्याः)

Speaker

Sūta (contextual continuation of Setu Māhātmya narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Sarvatīrtha (Setukṣetra)

Type: ghat

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣis (assembly of sages)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A disciplined pilgrim at a luminous seashore tīrtha, performing Gāyatrī-japa with a rosary, Vedic manuscripts nearby, while waves touch the sacred bathing steps; subtle presence of ‘four Vedas’ as personified scrolls or sages.

Characters & Entities

• Gāyatrī
• Vedas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Disciplined mantra-japa and Vedic recitation are held as exceptionally meritorious benchmarks when praising a great tīrtha.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Setu (Setubandha/Rāmeśvara-region) in the Setukhaṇḍa, praised as a ‘Sarvatīrtha’ (all-tīrthas in one).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Niyama-yukta japa of great mantras (starting with Gāyatrī) and repeated recitation of the four Vedas (hundredfold) as a measure of merit.