Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 143

Devanagari script

पञ्चविध्यमिति प्रोक्तं ह्रींकारप्रणवेन तु । अष्टमं च तथा साध्यं नवमं वामदेवकम्

Transliteration

pañcavidhyamiti proktaṃ hrīṃkārapraṇavena tu | aṣṭamaṃ ca tathā sādhyaṃ navamaṃ vāmadevakam

Translation

ഹ്രീംകാരവും പ്രണവവും (ഓം) ചേർന്നതിനാൽ ഇത് ‘പഞ്ചവിധം’ എന്നു പ്രസ്താവിക്കുന്നു. എട്ടാമത് ‘സാധ്യ’വും ഒൻപതാമത് ‘വാമദേവക’വും ആകുന്നു.

Word by Word

• पञ्चविध्यम्: fivefold
• पञ्चविध्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्च + विध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुषार्थे (पञ्चविधं)

• इति: thus
• इति: Discourse marker (उद्धरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरणार्थक-अव्यय

• प्रोक्तम्: is said
• प्रोक्तम्: Predicate (विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र + वच् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त

• ह्रींकारप्रणवेन: by/with (the) hrīṃkāra and praṇava
• ह्रींकारप्रणवेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ह्रींकार + प्रणव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन; इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व (ह्रींकारश्च प्रणवश्च)

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (contrastive particle)

• अष्टमम्: the eighth
• अष्टमम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अष्टम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; क्रमवाचक-विशेषण

• च: and
• च: Connector (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Modifier (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb)

• साध्यम्: to be accomplished
• साध्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: साध्य (प्रातिपदिक; साध् धातोः यत्-प्रत्ययान्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; यत्-कृदन्त (gerundive: to be accomplished)

• नवमम्: the ninth
• नवमम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नवम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; क्रमवाचक-विशेषण

• वामदेवकम्: Vāmadeva (as a chant/section)
• वामदेवकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वामदेवक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Prabhāsakṣetramāhātmya dialogue style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The syllables hrīṃ and Oṃ appear as luminous calligraphic forms above a meditating practitioner; behind, a subtle fivefold mandala; Vāmadeva aspect suggested by a serene Śiva face oriented to the north, gentle and beneficent.

Characters & Entities

• Praṇava (Oṃ)
• Hrīṃ
• Vāmadeva
• Sādhyas
• Prabhāsa-kṣetra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred syllables (Oṃ, hrīṃ) and divine epithets are treated as gateways that classify and empower Vedic recitation toward spiritual aims.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, within the Skanda Purāṇa’s Prabhāsakṣetramāhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Use of praṇava and hrīṃkāra in the scheme of Sāma-recitation, with specific named stages such as ‘Sādhya’ and ‘Vāmadeva’.