Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 28

Devanagari script

महामन्त्रं जपेत्क्षिप्रं दशांशं होमयेत्सुधीः । होमेन सिद्ध्यते मन्त्रः सत्यं सत्यं वरानने

Transliteration

mahāmantraṃ japetkṣipraṃ daśāṃśaṃ homayetsudhīḥ | homena siddhyate mantraḥ satyaṃ satyaṃ varānane

Translation

ഹേ വരാനനേ! ബുദ്ധിമാൻ വേഗത്തിൽ മഹാമന്ത്രം ജപിക്കുകയും അതിന്റെ ദശാംശം ഹോമമായി അർപ്പിക്കുകയും വേണം. ഹോമം കൊണ്ടാണ് മന്ത്രം സിദ്ധിയാകുന്നത്—സത്യം, സത്യം.

Word by Word

• महामन्त्रम्: the great mantra
• महामन्त्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (महान् मन्त्रः) — Masculine, Accusative singular

• जपेत्: should recite
• जपेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √जप् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष? (न), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम् — Optative, 2nd person singular (you should recite)

• क्षिप्रम्: quickly
• क्षिप्रम्: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: क्षिप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय — adverb

• दशांशम्: a tenth part (as offering)
• दशांशम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दश (प्रातिपदिक) + अंश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (दशानाम् अंशः = दशमांशः) — Masculine, Accusative singular

• होमयेत्: should offer in fire / perform homa
• होमयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √हु (धातु) (होमयति—णिच्)
• Form: विधिलिङ्, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्; णिच्-प्रयोगः (causative) — Optative, 2nd person singular

• सुधीः: the wise person
• सुधीः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सु (उपसर्ग/प्रातिपदिक) + धी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (सु-धीः = उत्तमबुद्धिः) — Masculine, Nominative singular

• होमेन: by the homa
• होमेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: होम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन — Masculine, Instrumental singular

• सिद्ध्यते: is accomplished/becomes effective
• सिद्ध्यते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √सिध् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम्; कर्मणि/भावे — Present, 3rd person singular, middle/passive sense

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

• सत्यम्: truly
• सत्यम्: Sambandha (Asseveration/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसक-एकवचन-आकारान्तं, वाक्ये निपातार्थे (प्रमाण/निश्चयार्थे) — used as asseverative (indeed/truly)

• सत्यम्: truly (indeed)
• सत्यम्: Sambandha (Asseveration/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुनरुक्त-निश्चयार्थक-निपातवत् — repeated asseverative

• वरानने: O fair-faced one
• वरानने: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर (प्रातिपदिक) + आनन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (vocative), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (वरम् आननम् यस्याः) — Feminine, Vocative singular

Speaker

Śiva (Īśvara/Maheśvara)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī / Mahādevī (addressed as varānane)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A disciplined sādhaka seated near a sacred precinct performs rapid japa, then tends a small homa-kuṇḍa with measured oblations, the fire rising steady as mantra-siddhi is affirmed.

Characters & Entities

• Mahāmantra
• Japa
• Homa
• Varānanā (Pārvatī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Mantra practice is completed by disciplined ritual follow-through: japa supported by homa leads to mantra-siddhi.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The instruction occurs within the Prabhāsakṣetramāhātmya context, tied to worship in the Prabhāsa tīrtha-region (not naming a new site in this verse).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform japa of a mahāmantra and then do a daśāṃśa (one-tenth) homa as its ritual completion for mantra-siddhi.