Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 140
स्वाहांतः प्रणावादिश्च भवेद्विंशाक्षरो मनुः । पूजादानं जपो होमो ऽनेनैव मनुना स्मृतः
svāhāṃtaḥ praṇāvādiśca bhavedviṃśākṣaro manuḥ | pūjādānaṃ japo homo 'nenaiva manunā smṛtaḥ
ప్రణవంతో ప్రారంభమై ‘స్వాహా’తో ముగియునది ఇరవై అక్షరాల మంత్రం. పూజ, దానం, జపం, హోమం—ఇవన్నీ ఇదే మంత్రంతో చేయవలెనని స్మృతిలో చెప్పబడింది।
Skanda
Tirtha: Kāśī (ritual domain; specific shrine not named)
Type: kshetra
Scene: A priest/devotee seated before a small homa-kuṇḍa near a Kāśī shrine; a palm-leaf manuscript shows the mantra; the praṇava rises as a luminous glyph and ‘svāhā’ seals the oblation flame.
FAQs
Mantra disciplines devotion—right sound-form is presented as the vehicle for multiple ritual acts.
The instruction belongs to Kāśīkhaṇḍa’s Gaṅgā–Kāśī ritual setting, where such mantra-guided rites are praised.
Use a twenty-syllable mantra (starting with Oṃ and ending with svāhā) for pūjā, dāna, japa, and homa.