Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 144

Devanagari script

ज्येष्ठं तु दशमं साम वेधसे प्रियमुत्तमम् । एतेषां देवि साम्नां वै जाप्यं कार्यं विधानतः

Transliteration

jyeṣṭhaṃ tu daśamaṃ sāma vedhase priyamuttamam | eteṣāṃ devi sāmnāṃ vai jāpyaṃ kāryaṃ vidhānataḥ

Translation

Adapun Sāman yang kesepuluh disebut “Jyeṣṭha”, paling unggul dan teramat dikasihi oleh Sang Pencipta (Vedhas). Wahai Dewi, japa bagi nyanyian Sāman ini hendaklah dilakukan menurut tatacara yang benar.

Word by Word

• ज्येष्ठम्: the eldest / chief
• ज्येष्ठम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ज्येष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन (Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular)

• तु: but / indeed
• तु: Sambandha-bodhaka (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle; contrast/emphasis)

• दशमम्: tenth
• दशमम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दशम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular)

• साम: Sāman chant
• साम: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular)

• वेधसे: for Vedhas (Brahmā)
• वेधसे: Sampradāna (Recipient)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेधस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Dative, Singular)

• प्रियम्: dear
• प्रियम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular)

• उत्तमम्: best / supreme
• उत्तमम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular)

• एतेषाम्: of these
• एतेषाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Genitive, Plural; pronoun)

• देवि: O Goddess
• देवि: Sambodhana (Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन विभक्ति, एकवचन (Feminine, Vocative, Singular)

• साम्नाम्: of the Sāmans
• साम्नाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Neuter, Genitive, Plural)

• वै: indeed
• वै: Sambandha-bodhaka (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• जाप्यम्: to be muttered / japa-text
• जाप्यम्: Karma (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जाप्य (प्रातिपदिक; √जप् (धातु) + यत्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular)

• कार्यम्: should be done
• कार्यम्: Vidhi (Obligatory predicate)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कार्य (प्रातिपदिक; √कृ (धातु) + ण्यत्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular; gerundive sense)

• विधानतः: according to rule
• विधानतः: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (Manner)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विधानतस् (अव्यय; विधान (प्रातिपदिक) + तस्)
• Form: अव्यय (तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त; adverb)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī (addressed as devi)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: The tenth chant ‘Jyeṣṭha’ is honored like a crown atop a sequence; the teacher gestures toward a ritual layout where a practitioner begins japa with a mala, facing a shrine; ‘Vedhas’ (Creator) is symbolically evoked by a lotus-born presence in the background.

Characters & Entities

• Vedhas (Brahmā)
• Jyeṣṭha-sāman
• Prabhāsa-kṣetra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Even exalted mantras yield their full fruit when practiced with vidhāna—reverent discipline and correct method.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra is the overarching setting of this Māhātmya teaching.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform japa of the specified Sāman set—especially the ‘Jyeṣṭha’—strictly according to prescribed procedure.