Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 18

Devanagari script

ओंकारस्त्वं वषट्कारः सर्वारंभप्रवर्तकः । यज्ञोसि यज्ञकर्मासि यज्ञानां च प्रवर्तकः

Transliteration

oṃkārastvaṃ vaṣaṭkāraḥ sarvāraṃbhapravartakaḥ | yajñosi yajñakarmāsi yajñānāṃ ca pravartakaḥ

Translation

พระองค์คือโอมการะ พระองค์คือวษัฏการะ ผู้ทรงเริ่มต้นและขับเคลื่อนกิจทั้งปวง. พระองค์คือยัญญะเอง พระองค์คือกรรมแห่งยัญญะ และพระองค์คือผู้ทรงดลบันดาลให้ยัญญาทั้งหลายดำเนินไป.

Word by Word

• ओंकारः: the syllable Oṃ (Oṃkāra)
• ओंकारः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ओंकार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• वषट्कारः: the exclamation ‘vaṣaṭ’
• वषट्कारः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वषट्कार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• सर्वारम्भप्रवर्तकः: initiator of all undertakings
• सर्वारम्भप्रवर्तकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व + आरम्भ + प्रवर्तक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (सर्वेषाम् आरम्भाणाम् प्रवर्तकः)

• यज्ञः: sacrifice
• यज्ञः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• असि: are
• असि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• यज्ञकर्म: ritual act of sacrifice
• यज्ञकर्म: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञ + कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (यज्ञस्य कर्म)

• असि: are
• असि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• यज्ञानाम्: of sacrifices
• यज्ञानाम्: Shashthi-Sambandha (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• प्रवर्तकः: promoter/impeller
• प्रवर्तकः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्र + वृत् (धातु) + ण्वुल् (कृदन्त: प्रवर्तक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्तृवाचक

Speaker

Brahmā

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Rudra/Śiva

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A symbolic tableau: Śiva as the luminous Praṇava (Oṃ) hovering above a Vedic altar; the vaṣaṭ flame rises; ritual implements orbit like cosmic elements, showing Śiva as sacrifice and sacrificer.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Oṃkāra
• Vaṣaṭkāra
• Yajña

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual power and mantra efficacy ultimately rest in the Divine; worship is complete when the inner Lord is recognized as the sacrifice itself.

Which specific holy site (Tīrtha) is glorified here?

No site is directly named; the Kedārakhaṇḍa context links Śiva worship with sacred geography, but this verse is about yajña-metaphysics.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Vedic ritual elements—Oṃkāra and the Vaṣaṭ-call—are referenced as integral to yajña.