Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 72

Devanagari script

जप्यमेतत्प्रयत्नेन सततं मंगलार्थिना । अमंगलानां शमनं हरनारायणप्रियम

Transliteration

japyametatprayatnena satataṃ maṃgalārthinā | amaṃgalānāṃ śamanaṃ haranārāyaṇapriyama

Translation

മംഗളം ആഗ്രഹിക്കുന്നവൻ ഇതിനെ സദാ പരിശ്രമത്തോടെ ജപിക്കണം. ഇത് അമംഗളങ്ങളെ ശമിപ്പിക്കുകയും ഹരൻ (ശിവൻ) നാരായണൻ (വിഷ്ണു) എന്നിവർക്കു പ്രിയവുമാകുന്നു.

Word by Word

• japyam: to be recited
• japyam: Kriya-sādhya (विधेय/Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: japya (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त from jap)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; विधेय-भावे कर्मणि-योग्यतार्थक (gerundive: 'to be recited')

• etat: this
• etat: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etat (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• prayatnena: with effort
• prayatnena: Karana (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prayatna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• satataṃ: always
• satataṃ: Kriya-viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: satatam (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक-नपुंसक-रूपेण क्रियाविशेषण)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (adverb)

• maṅgalārthinā: by one seeking auspiciousness
• maṅgalārthinā: Kartr̥-sahakārī (कर्ता-सम्बन्धी/Agent qualifier)
• Type: Noun
• Root: maṅgala + arthin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन; षष्ठी/चतुर्थी-तत्पुरुषार्थः (maṅgalasya arthī = one who seeks auspiciousness)

• amaṅgalānām: of inauspicious things
• amaṅgalānām: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: a-maṅgala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; नञ्-उपसर्गयुक्त

• śamanam: pacification
• śamanam: Karta/Phala (फल/Result; nominal predicate)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śamana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• hara-nārāyaṇa-priyam: dear to Hara and Nārāyaṇa
• hara-nārāyaṇa-priyam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण of śamanam/etat)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: hara + nārāyaṇa + priya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; समाहार-द्वन्द्वपूर्वक-तत्पुरुषार्थः (harasya ca nārāyaṇasya ca priyam = dear to Hara and Nārāyaṇa)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced for Kāśī-khaṇḍa narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī/Avimukta (implied)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: devotee audience within Kāśī-māhātmya narration

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim seated on a Kāśī ghāṭa counting a mālā, with subtle dual iconography: Śiva’s trident and Viṣṇu’s conch appearing as protective emblems; dark clouds of misfortune dissolving into light.

Characters & Entities

• Hara
• Nārāyaṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Auspiciousness is cultivated through steady, sincere japa; devotion harmonizes sectarian divides by honoring what is dear to both Śiva and Viṣṇu.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse sits in the Kāśī-khaṇḍa framework, implying the sacred atmosphere and dharmic potency associated with Kāśī (Vārāṇasī).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Constant japa (repetition/chanting) of “this” (the referenced mantra/phrase from the surrounding passage) with sustained effort.