Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 142

Devanagari script

पञ्चमं प्रहरो यत्र षष्ठमारण्यकं तथा । निधनं सप्तमं साम्नां सप्तसिद्धिमिति स्मृतम्

Transliteration

pañcamaṃ praharo yatra ṣaṣṭhamāraṇyakaṃ tathā | nidhanaṃ saptamaṃ sāmnāṃ saptasiddhimiti smṛtam

Translation

ఏ క్రమంలో ఐదవది ‘ప్రహర’ అని, ఆరవది ‘ఆరణ్యక’ అని, సామగానాలలో ఏడవది ‘నిధన’ అని పిలువబడునో—అది ‘సప్తసిద్ధి’గా స్మరింపబడుతుంది.

Word by Word

• पञ्चमम्: the fifth
• पञ्चमम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्चम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; क्रमवाचक-विशेषण

• प्रहरः: prāhara (a watch/period)
• प्रहरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रहर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (relative adverb: where)

• षष्ठम्: the sixth
• षष्ठम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: षष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; क्रमवाचक-विशेषण

• आरण्यकम्: Āraṇyaka (text/section)
• आरण्यकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आरण्यक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

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

• निधनम्: nidhana (conclusion)
• निधनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निधन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; अत्र क्रमवाच्यं (सप्तमं इत्यस्य विशेष्य)

• सप्तमम्: the seventh
• सप्तमम्: Modifier (Adjective/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सप्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; क्रमवाचक-विशेषण

• साम्नाम्: of the Sāmans
• साम्नाम्: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), बहुवचन

• सप्तसिद्धिम्: the sevenfold attainment
• सप्तसिद्धिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सप्त + सिद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (सप्तानां सिद्धिः)

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

• स्मृतम्: is remembered/said
• स्मृतम्: Predicate (विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्मृ (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Prabhāsakṣetramāhātmya dialogue style)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Devī

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A schematic-like sacred diagram of seven stages of sāman accomplishment, with the teacher pointing to each named segment; forest (āraṇyaka) imagery blending into a ritual hall, ending in a quiet ‘nidhana’ closure.

Characters & Entities

• Prabhāsa-kṣetra
• Sāman (Sāmaveda chants)
• Saptasiddhi

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Vedic sound (Sāman) is presented as a structured, sanctifying practice whose perfected form leads to ‘siddhi’ (spiritual accomplishment).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Prabhāsa-kṣetra, praised in the Prabhāsakṣetramāhātmya section of the Skanda Purāṇa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A classification of Sāman portions (including prahara, āraṇyaka, nidhana) as part of a sevenfold sacred scheme used for disciplined japa/recitation.