Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 96

Devanagari script

मंत्रःसुरद्रुमसमः समस्तसुखसंततिप्रदो जप्यः । तिथिभिः परिमितवर्णः परमपदं दिशति निशितधियाम्

Transliteration

maṃtraḥsuradrumasamaḥ samastasukhasaṃtatiprado japyaḥ | tithibhiḥ parimitavarṇaḥ paramapadaṃ diśati niśitadhiyām

Translation

ഈ മന്ത്രം കൽപവൃക്ഷസമം; സമസ്തസുഖങ്ങളുടെ അഖണ്ഡപരമ്പര നൽകുന്നതുകൊണ്ട് ജപിക്കേണ്ടതാണ്. തിഥിപ്രകാരം ഇതിലെ അക്ഷരങ്ങൾ പരിമിതം; തീക്ഷ്ണബുദ്ധിയുള്ളവർക്ക് പരമപദം ദാനം ചെയ്യുന്നു.

Word by Word

• मन्त्रः: the mantra
• मन्त्रः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• सुरद्रुमसमः: equal to the wish-fulfilling divine tree
• सुरद्रुमसमः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुरद्रुम + सम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (adjective) मन्त्रः-विशेषणम्; समासः—तत्पुरुष (उपमान-निर्देशः: ‘सुरद्रुमस्य समः’)

• समस्तसुखसंततिप्रदः: bestower of an unbroken succession of all happiness
• समस्तसुखसंततिप्रदः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: समस्त + सुख + संतति + प्रद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (adjective) मन्त्रः-विशेषणम्; समासः—तत्पुरुष (समस्तानां सुखानां संततिं प्रददाति इति)

• जप्यः: to be recited
• जप्यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जप् (धातु) + य (कृत्-प्रत्ययः)
• Form: कृदन्त (भाव्य/तव्यत्-अर्थः), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘जपनीयः’ (to be recited)

• तिथिभिः: by (means of) lunar days / by tithis
• तिथिभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तिथि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन (Plural)

• परिमितवर्णः: having a limited/defined number of syllables
• परिमितवर्णः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परिमित + वर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (adjective) मन्त्रः-विशेषणम्; समासः—तत्पुरुष (‘परिमिताः वर्णाः यस्य’)

• परमपदम्: the supreme state
• परमपदम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परम + पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय (‘परमं पदम्’)

• दिशति: shows / bestows
• दिशति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दिश् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• निशितधियाम्: of the sharp-minded (people)
• निशितधियाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निशित + धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (‘निशिता धिः येषाम्’)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśī Khaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra (implied)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sādhaka seated on a ghāṭa in Kāśī at dawn, rosary in hand, with a luminous wish-fulfilling tree (kalpavṛkṣa) appearing behind him; lunar tithis shown as a subtle halo of phases around the mantra syllables; the river and temples form the sacred backdrop.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Steady mantra-recitation, done with understanding and proper discipline, leads the seeker toward the supreme goal.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader context is Kāśī (Vārāṇasī) in the Kāśī Khaṇḍa, though this verse focuses on mantra-mahātmyā rather than a named tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Japa of a mantra whose syllabic count is regulated in relation to tithis (lunar dates).