Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 59

Devanagari script

ओंकारेति प्रियोक्तिस्ते महादुःखविनाशनः । तं पूर्वं प्रणवं ध्यात्वा ज्ञानरूपं सुखाश्रयम्

Transliteration

oṃkāreti priyoktiste mahāduḥkhavināśanaḥ | taṃ pūrvaṃ praṇavaṃ dhyātvā jñānarūpaṃ sukhāśrayam

Translation

ถ้อยคำอันเป็นที่รักว่า “โอมการะ” เป็นผู้ทำลายทุกข์ใหญ่ ก่อนอื่นจงเพ่งภาวนาต่อปรณวะนั้น—ซึ่งเป็นรูปแห่งญาณ และเป็นที่พึ่งแห่งสุข

Word by Word

• ओंकार: ‘Oṃkāra’
• ओंकार: Karta (Quoted term/उद्धृत-नाम)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ओंकार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘इति’ इत्यनेन उद्धृत-शब्दः (नामनिर्देश)

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (Quotation marker/उद्धरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उद्धरण-चिह्न (quotative particle)

• प्रियोक्तिः: the pleasing utterance/name
• प्रियोक्तिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रिय (प्रातिपदिक) + उक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः—‘प्रिया उक्तिः’ = ‘dear/pleasing utterance’

• ते: your
• ते: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध/Genitive), एकवचन; सर्वनाम; ‘of you/your’

• महादुःखविनाशनः: destroyer of great sorrow
• महादुःखविनाशनः: Karta (Predicate adjective/कर्ता-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + दुःख (प्रातिपदिक) + विनाशन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘महद् दुःखम्’ इति कर्मधारय-पूर्वपद, ततः ‘महादुःखस्य विनाशनः’ इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः

• तम्: that (praṇava)
• तम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (कर्म/Accusative), एकवचन

• पूर्वम्: first
• पूर्वम्: Kriya-vishesana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb) = ‘first/beforehand’

• प्रणवम्: the praṇava (Oṃ)
• प्रणवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रणव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• ध्यात्वा: having meditated (upon)
• ध्यात्वा: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ध्या (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund) = ‘having meditated’

• ज्ञानरूपम्: whose nature is knowledge
• ज्ञानरूपम्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ज्ञान (प्रातिपदिक) + रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘ज्ञानस्य रूपम्’ इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः

• सुखाश्रयम्: abode of bliss
• सुखाश्रयम्: Karma (Object-qualifier/कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुख (प्रातिपदिक) + आश्रय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘सुखस्य आश्रयः’ इति षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः

Speaker

Śiva (contextual continuation of Īśvara’s instruction)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A meditator visualizes Oṃ as a stream of light entering the heart; dark clouds labeled ‘duḥkha’ dissolve; the heart-lotus shines as ‘jñāna’ and ‘ānanda’.

Characters & Entities

• Oṃkāra
• Praṇava

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Meditation on Oṃ is presented as a direct remedy for deep suffering and as a doorway into knowledge and bliss.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific site is named; the verse emphasizes inner tīrtha—praṇava-dhyāna—within the mahatmya setting.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Dhyāna on the Praṇava (Oṃ) as the first step in practice.