Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

प्रदास्यति परं ज्ञानं ब्रह्मरूपमखण्डितम् । ब्रह्मकल्पांतकोटीषु जप त्वं द्वादशाक्षरम्

Transliteration

pradāsyati paraṃ jñānaṃ brahmarūpamakhaṇḍitam | brahmakalpāṃtakoṭīṣu japa tvaṃ dvādaśākṣaram

Translation

അത് പരമജ്ഞാനം നൽകും—അഖണ്ഡമായ ബ്രഹ്മസ്വരൂപം. അതിനാൽ ബ്രഹ്മകൽപാന്ത കോടികളോളം കാലം നീ ദ്വാദശാക്ഷര മന്ത്രം ജപിക്ക।

Word by Word

• प्रदास्यति: will bestow
• प्रदास्यति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√dā (दा धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future); प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• परम्: supreme
• परम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; 'ज्ञानम्' इति विशेषण

• ज्ञानम्: knowledge
• ज्ञानम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jñāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/कर्म), एकवचन

• ब्रह्मरूपम्: of the nature of Brahman
• ब्रह्मरूपम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: brahman (प्रातिपदिक) + rūpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (ब्रह्मणः रूपम्/ब्रह्मरूपम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; 'ज्ञानम्' इति विशेषण

• अखण्डितम्: undivided, unbroken
• अखण्डितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a- (नञ्) + khaṇḍita (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक from √khaṇḍ)
• Form: नञ्-समासपूर्वक भूतकृदन्त (क्त); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; 'ज्ञानम्' इति विशेषण

• ब्रह्मकल्पांतकोटीषु: in/through crores of Brahma-kalpa endings (for immense ages)
• ब्रह्मकल्पांतकोटीषु: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahma (प्रातिपदिक) + kalpa (प्रातिपदिक) + anta (प्रातिपदिक) + koṭi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (ब्रह्मकल्पानां अन्ते कोटयः; or 'for crores of Brahma-kalpa-ends'); स्त्रीलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/अधिकरण), बहुवचन

• जप: recite
• जप: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √jap (जप् धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative); मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvam (युष्मद्-सर्वनाम)
• Form: उत्तम-पुरुषार्थे सर्वनाम; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• द्वादशाक्षरम्: the twelve-syllabled (mantra)
• द्वादशाक्षरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvādaśa (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + akṣara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्विगु-समास (द्वादश अक्षराणि यस्य/द्वादशाक्षरम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/कर्म), एकवचन

Speaker

Brahmā (in Brahma–Nārada dialogue; attribution by section context)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A visionary tableau: mantra syllables forming a luminous garland leading the sādhaka’s mind into an undivided expanse of light symbolizing akhaṇḍa-brahman.

Characters & Entities

• Brahman
• Dvādaśākṣara (twelve-syllabled mantra)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Steady mantra-japa leads to supreme, non-dual knowledge—Brahman-realization.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader passage belongs to the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra Māhātmya within the Nāgara-khaṇḍa’s Tīrthamāhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Continuous japa (repetition) of the dvādaśākṣara (twelve-syllabled) mantra.