Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 140

Devanagari script

स्वाहांतः प्रणावादिश्च भवेद्विंशाक्षरो मनुः । पूजादानं जपो होमो ऽनेनैव मनुना स्मृतः

Transliteration

svāhāṃtaḥ praṇāvādiśca bhavedviṃśākṣaro manuḥ | pūjādānaṃ japo homo 'nenaiva manunā smṛtaḥ

Translation

มนตร์ยี่สิบพยางค์นี้เริ่มด้วยปรณวะ (โอม) และลงท้ายด้วย “สวาหา” การบูชา การให้ทาน การสวดภาวนา (ชปะ) และโหมะ ล้วนพึงกระทำด้วยมนตร์นี้เองตามคัมภีร์

Word by Word

• स्वाहा-अन्तः: ending with “svāhā”
• स्वाहा-अन्तः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: svāhā-anta (प्रातिपदिक; स्वाहा + अन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण (मनुः); समासः: स्वाहायाः अन्तः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• प्रणव-आदिः: beginning with the praṇava (Oṃ)
• प्रणव-आदिः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: praṇava-ādi (प्रातिपदिक; प्रणव + आदि)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण (मनुः); समासः: प्रणवः आदिः यस्य (तत्पुरुष)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• भवेत्: should be/becomes
• भवेत्: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• विंश-अक्षरः: twenty-syllabled
• विंश-अक्षरः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: viṃśa-akṣara (प्रातिपदिक; विंश + अक्षर)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण (मनुः); समासः: विंशतिः अक्षराणि यस्य (द्विगु)

• मनुः: the mantra (manu)
• मनुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: manu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्ता/विषय

• पूजा-दानम्: worship and giving (charity)
• पूजा-दानम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pūjā-dāna (प्रातिपदिक; पूजा + दान)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; समासः: पूजा च दानं च (द्वन्द्व)

• जपः: recitation
• जपः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: japa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; समुच्चित-विषय

• होमः: fire-offering
• होमः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: homa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; समुच्चित-विषय

• अनेन: by this
• अनेन: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; करण (instrumental)

• एव: indeed/alone
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक निपात

• मनुना: by the mantra
• मनुना: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: manu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; करण

• स्मृतः: is declared/remembered (as)
• स्मृतः: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: smṛ (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त: क्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive sense)

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī (ritual domain; specific shrine not named)

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

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.

Characters & Entities

• Praṇava (Oṃ)
• Svāhā
• Mantra
• Homa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Mantra disciplines devotion—right sound-form is presented as the vehicle for multiple ritual acts.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The instruction belongs to Kāśīkhaṇḍa’s Gaṅgā–Kāśī ritual setting, where such mantra-guided rites are praised.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Use a twenty-syllable mantra (starting with Oṃ and ending with svāhā) for pūjā, dāna, japa, and homa.