Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 31

Devanagari script

स च बाल्यात्प्रभृत्येव प्राग्जन्मन्यनुशिक्षितम् । जजापमंत्रं त्वनिशं द्वादशाक्षरसंज्ञितम्

Transliteration

sa ca bālyātprabhṛtyeva prāgjanmanyanuśikṣitam | jajāpamaṃtraṃ tvaniśaṃ dvādaśākṣarasaṃjñitam

Translation

അവൻ ബാല്യകാലം മുതലേ, പൂർവ്വജന്മാനുശിക്ഷണത്താൽ പ്രബോധിതനായി, ‘ദ്വാദശാക്ഷര’മെന്നു പ്രസിദ്ധമായ മന്ത്രം നിരന്തരം ജപിച്ചു കൊണ്ടിരുന്നു।

Word by Word

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

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction)

• बाल्यात्: from childhood
• बाल्यात्: Apadana (अपादान/source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाल्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

• प्रभृत्य: starting from
• प्रभृत्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रभृति (अव्यय/उपपद)
• Form: अव्यय (postposition/adverbial: 'starting from')

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-निपात (emphatic particle)

• प्राक्: previously
• प्राक्: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्राक् (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time: 'formerly/before')

• जन्मनि: in (a) birth
• जन्मनि: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/location/time)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन

• अनुशिक्षितम्: taught/instructed
• अनुशिक्षितम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनु-शिक्ष् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle/क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; 'मन्त्रम्' इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• जजाप: he recited
• जजाप: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जप् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• मन्त्रम्: a mantra
• मन्त्रम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/विशेषार्थक-निपात (particle: 'but/indeed')

• अनिशम्: constantly
• अनिशम्: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अनिशम् (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb: 'constantly')

• द्वादशाक्षर-संज्ञितम्: called 'twelve-syllabled'
• द्वादशाक्षर-संज्ञितम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वादश (संख्या) + अक्षर (प्रातिपदिक) + संज्ञित (संज्ञा-धातु √ज्ञा/ज्ञा?; here 'संज्ञित' as कृदन्त from संज्ञा/संज्ञि)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (द्वादश-अक्षर = 'twelve-syllabled'); 'द्वादशाक्षर' इति विशेष्य-विशेषणभावः; संज्ञित (क्त/कृदन्त) नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; 'मन्त्रम्' इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

Speaker

Nārada

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Śaunaka and the Naimiṣāraṇya ṛṣis

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A serene brāhmaṇa child sits absorbed in constant japa, eyes half-closed, body still; a subtle aura suggests prior-birth training, while household life continues around him unnoticed.

Characters & Entities

• Aitareya
• Dvādaśākṣara-mantra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Steady japa, supported by deep saṃskāra (even from previous lives), ripens into spiritual power and realization.

Which specific holy site (Tīrtha) is glorified here?

Not specified in this verse; it describes the inner practice that prepares the devotee for tīrtha-born siddhi.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Continuous mantra-japa of a dvādaśākṣara (twelve-syllabled) mantra.