Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 51

Devanagari script

दुर्लभा सर्वमंत्रेषु गायत्री प्रणवान्विता । न गायत्र्याधिकं किंचित्त्रयीषु परिगीयते

Transliteration

durlabhā sarvamaṃtreṣu gāyatrī praṇavānvitā | na gāyatryādhikaṃ kiṃcittrayīṣu parigīyate

Translation

സകല മന്ത്രങ്ങളിലുമെല്ലാം പ്രണവയുക്തമായ ഗായത്രി അത്യന്തം ദുർലഭം. ത്രിവേദങ്ങളിൽ ഗായത്രിയേക്കാൾ ശ്രേഷ്ഠമെന്ന് ഒന്നും പാടപ്പെടുന്നില്ല.

Word by Word

• durlabhā: rare/difficult to obtain
• durlabhā: Visheshana (adjectival predicate)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dur-labhā (दुर् + लभ; प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण (predicate)

• sarva-maṃtreṣu: among all mantras
• sarva-maṃtreṣu: Adhikarana (locus)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva-mantra (सर्व + मन्त्र; प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), बहुवचन; कर्मधारय-समास (सर्वे मन्त्राः)

• gāyatrī: Gāyatrī
• gāyatrī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gāyatrī (गायत्री; प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• praṇava-anvitā: endowed with Praṇava (Oṃ)
• praṇava-anvitā: Visheshana (adjective of gāyatrī)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: praṇava-anvitā (प्रणव + अन्विता; प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (प्रणवेन अन्विता)

• na: not
• na: Pratiṣedha (negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (negation particle)

• gāyatrī-adhikam: anything superior to Gāyatrī
• gāyatrī-adhikam: Karma (object of 'is sung' as content)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: gāyatrī-adhika (गायत्री + अधिक; प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (गायत्र्याः अधिकम् = superior to Gāyatrī)

• kiṃcit: anything at all
• kiṃcit: Karma (object/content)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kiṃcit (किम् + चित्; सर्वनाम/अव्यय-प्रयोग)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; अनिश्चित-सर्वनाम (indefinite pronoun)

• trayīṣu: in the three Vedas
• trayīṣu: Adhikarana (locus)
• Type: Noun
• Root: trayī (त्रयी; प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), बहुवचन

• parigīyate: is sung/celebrated
• parigīyate: Kriya (verbal action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pari + √gai (गै; धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive): 'is sung/celebrated'

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dvija (implied audience of Vedic practitioner)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A radiant syllable Oṃ crowns the Gāyatrī mantra as a luminous garland of syllables; three Vedas personified as sages sing her praise, while a pilgrim in Kāśī performs sandhyā at the river steps.

Characters & Entities

• Gāyatrī
• Praṇava (Oṃ)
• Trayī (three Vedas)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The mantra’s power lies in its Vedic centrality: Gāyatrī, especially with Oṃ, is upheld as the foremost spiritual instrument.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Within the Kāśī-khaṇḍa frame, the praise supports Kāśī’s identity as a city of mantra, Veda, and liberation.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Gāyatrī-japa with Praṇava (Oṃ) is endorsed as the supreme mantra practice.