Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 48

Devanagari script

प्रणवेनापरान्सर्वानृग्वेदादीन्प्रपूजयेत् । गायत्री परमो मंत्रो वेदमाता विभावरी

Transliteration

praṇavenāparānsarvānṛgvedādīnprapūjayet | gāyatrī paramo maṃtro vedamātā vibhāvarī

Translation

പ്രണവം (ഓം) കൊണ്ട് ഋഗ്വേദാദി മറ്റു എല്ലാം വിധിപൂർവ്വം പൂജിക്കണം. ഗായത്രി പരമമന്ത്രം, വേദമാതാവ്, ദീപ്തിമയി.

Word by Word

• प्रणवेन: by/with the praṇava (Oṃ)
• प्रणवेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रणव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन — Masculine, Instrumental (3rd), Singular

• अपरान्: other
• अपरान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अपर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Masculine, Accusative (2nd), Plural

• सर्वान्: all
• सर्वान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Masculine, Accusative (2nd), Plural

• ऋग्वेदादीन्: the Vedas beginning with the Ṛgveda
• ऋग्वेदादीन्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋग्वेद + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन — Masculine, Accusative (2nd), Plural; समासः: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (ऋग्वेदस्य आदि: ‘beginning with Ṛgveda’) — Genitive Tatpurusha

• प्रपूजयेत्: should worship
• प्रपूजयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पूज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद — Optative, 3rd person, Singular, Parasmaipada; उपसर्गः: प्र-

• गायत्री: Gāyatrī
• गायत्री: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गायत्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Feminine, Nominative (1st), Singular

• परमः: supreme
• परमः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative (1st), Singular; विशेषणम् (मन्त्रः)

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

• वेदमाता: mother of the Vedas
• वेदमाता: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेद + माता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Feminine, Nominative (1st), Singular; समासः: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (वेदानां माता) — Genitive Tatpurusha

• विभावरी: the radiant one / night (epithet)
• विभावरी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विभावरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन — Feminine, Nominative (1st), Singular

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A symbolic tableau: the syllable Oṃ above a lotus; four Vedas personified as venerable sages receiving worship, while Gāyatrī appears as a radiant goddess holding a rosary and water-pot.

Characters & Entities

• Praṇava (Oṃ)
• Gāyatrī
• Ṛgveda
• Prabhāsa-kṣetra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Oṃ and Gāyatrī summarize Vedic spirituality—honouring them is presented as honouring the whole Vedic revelation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, where this mantra-centered worship is prescribed as especially meritorious.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Worship the Vedas (Ṛgveda etc.) through the Praṇava, and uphold Gāyatrī as the central mantra of the rite.