Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 21

Devanagari script

एतेषामपि यत्सारं प्रणवाख्यं महत्फलम् । द्वादशाक्षरसंयुक्तं ब्रह्मरूपं सना तनम्

Transliteration

eteṣāmapi yatsāraṃ praṇavākhyaṃ mahatphalam | dvādaśākṣarasaṃyuktaṃ brahmarūpaṃ sanā tanam

Translation

ഇവയൊക്കെയുടെയും സാരം പ്രണവം (ഓം) ആകുന്നു; മഹാഫലപ്രദം. അത് ദ്വാദശാക്ഷരി മന്ത്രത്തോടു ചേർന്ന, ബ്രഹ്മസ്വരൂപമായ സനാതന തത്ത്വം.

Word by Word

• एतेषाम्: of these
• एतेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी (6th), बहुवचन

• अपि: also
• अपि: Adverbial (Particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/अपि-कार (also/even)

• यत्: which
• यत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सारम् इति विशेषण-सम्बन्ध (relative)

• सारम्: essence
• सारम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• प्रणव-आख्यम्: called ‘Praṇava’
• प्रणव-आख्यम्: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रणव (प्रातिपदिक) + आख्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (‘named praṇava’); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सारम् इति विशेषणम्

• महत्-फलम्: a great result
• महत्-फलम्: Karta (Predicate nominative/समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक) + फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय (‘great fruit/result’); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सारम् इति समानााधिकरणम्

• द्वादश-अक्षर-संयुक्तम्: combined with twelve syllables
• द्वादश-अक्षर-संयुक्तम्: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वादश (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + अक्षर (प्रातिपदिक) + संयुक्त (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (‘joined with twelve syllables’); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सारम् इति विशेषणम्

• ब्रह्म-रूपम्: of the nature/form of Brahman
• ब्रह्म-रूपम्: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (‘having the form of Brahman’); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सारम् इति विशेषणम्

• सनातनम्: eternal
• सनातनम्: Karta (Subject-qualifier/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सनातन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सारम् इति विशेषणम्

Speaker

Śiva (Śambhu)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sage seated in a tīrtha grove, holding a japa-mālā; above him a luminous Oṃ merges into a twelve-petalled lotus bearing the dvādaśākṣarī, radiating as Brahman-light over rivers and temples.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Praṇava (Oṃ)
• Dvādaśākṣara-mantra
• Brahman

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

All devotional practices culminate in the Pranava (Oṃ) and the eternal Brahman-reality realized through mantra.

Which specific holy site (Tīrtha) is glorified here?

This verse does not specify a tīrtha; it provides a doctrinal climax within a Tīrthamāhātmya chapter.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Praṇava (Oṃ) and a dvādaśākṣara (twelve-syllabled) mantra are indicated as core mantra-practices.