Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 29

Devanagari script

पंचमंत्राञ्जपञ्छुद्धस्तीर्थयात्रापरोऽभवत् । रुद्रक्षेत्रेषु सस्नौ स जपन्मन्त्रांश्च भारत

Transliteration

paṃcamaṃtrāñjapañchuddhastīrthayātrāparo'bhavat | rudrakṣetreṣu sasnau sa japanmantrāṃśca bhārata

Translation

പഞ്ചമന്ത്രജപംകൊണ്ട് ശുദ്ധനായ അവൻ തീർത്ഥയാത്രയിൽ ലീനനായി. ഹേ ഭാരതാ, അവൻ രുദ്രക്ഷേത്രങ്ങളിൽ സ്നാനം ചെയ്ത് നിരന്തരം മന്ത്രജപം ചെയ്തു.

Word by Word

• पञ्च-मन्त्रान्: the five mantras
• पञ्च-मन्त्रान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्च (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन; द्विगु-समासः (पञ्च मन्त्राः)

• जपन्: chanting
• जपन्: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जप् (धातु) + शतृ (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘जपन्’ = chanting

• शुद्धः: purified
• शुद्धः: Visheshana (Predicate adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• तीर्थ-यात्रा-परः: devoted to pilgrimage
• तीर्थ-यात्रा-परः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक) + यात्रा (प्रातिपदिक) + पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (तीर्थयात्रायां परः = devoted to pilgrimage)

• अभवत्: became
• अभवत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• रुद्र-क्षेत्रेषु: in Rudra’s sacred places
• रुद्र-क्षेत्रेषु: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुद्र (प्रातिपदिक) + क्षेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (रुद्रस्य क्षेत्रेषु)

• सस्नौ: bathed
• सस्नौ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्ना (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• जपन्: chanting
• जपन्: Karta (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जप् (धातु) + शतृ (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• मन्त्रान्: mantras
• मन्त्रान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• भारत: O Bhārata
• भारत: Sambodhana (Vocative/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भारत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th), एकवचन; संबोधन

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa), narrating (addressing ‘Bhārata’ as the listener)

Characters & Entities

• Rudra
• Rudra-kṣetra (Śiva sacred sites)
• pañca-mantra (five mantras)
• tīrtha-yātrā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Pilgrimage becomes spiritually potent when joined with mantra-japa and purity of conduct, especially in Śaiva sacred landscapes.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse broadly glorifies Rudra-kṣetras (Śiva’s sacred regions) rather than naming a single tīrtha.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Chanting the five mantras (pañca-mantra-japa) and bathing (snāna) during pilgrimage to Rudra-kṣetras.