Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 51

Devanagari script

दुर्लभा सर्वमंत्रेषु गायत्री प्रणवान्विता । न गायत्र्याधिकं किंचित्त्रयीषु परिगीयते

Transliteration

durlabhā sarvamaṃtreṣu gāyatrī praṇavānvitā | na gāyatryādhikaṃ kiṃcittrayīṣu parigīyate

Translation

تمام منتروں میں پرنَو کے ساتھ یُکت گایتری نہایت نایاب ہے۔ تینوں ویدوں میں گایتری سے بڑھ کر کسی شے کی مدح نہیں گائی جاتی۔

Word by Word

• durlabhā: rare/difficult to obtain
• durlabhā: Visheshana (adjectival predicate)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dur-labhā (दुर् + लभ; प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण (predicate)

• sarva-maṃtreṣu: among all mantras
• sarva-maṃtreṣu: Adhikarana (locus)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva-mantra (सर्व + मन्त्र; प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), बहुवचन; कर्मधारय-समास (सर्वे मन्त्राः)

• gāyatrī: Gāyatrī
• gāyatrī: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gāyatrī (गायत्री; प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• praṇava-anvitā: endowed with Praṇava (Oṃ)
• praṇava-anvitā: Visheshana (adjective of gāyatrī)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: praṇava-anvitā (प्रणव + अन्विता; प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (प्रणवेन अन्विता)

• na: not
• na: Pratiṣedha (negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (negation particle)

• gāyatrī-adhikam: anything superior to Gāyatrī
• gāyatrī-adhikam: Karma (object of 'is sung' as content)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: gāyatrī-adhika (गायत्री + अधिक; प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (गायत्र्याः अधिकम् = superior to Gāyatrī)

• kiṃcit: anything at all
• kiṃcit: Karma (object/content)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kiṃcit (किम् + चित्; सर्वनाम/अव्यय-प्रयोग)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; अनिश्चित-सर्वनाम (indefinite pronoun)

• trayīṣu: in the three Vedas
• trayīṣu: Adhikarana (locus)
• Type: Noun
• Root: trayī (त्रयी; प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), बहुवचन

• parigīyate: is sung/celebrated
• parigīyate: Kriya (verbal action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pari + √gai (गै; धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive): 'is sung/celebrated'

Speaker

Skanda

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dvija (implied audience of Vedic practitioner)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A radiant syllable Oṃ crowns the Gāyatrī mantra as a luminous garland of syllables; three Vedas personified as sages sing her praise, while a pilgrim in Kāśī performs sandhyā at the river steps.

Characters & Entities

• Gāyatrī
• Praṇava (Oṃ)
• Trayī (three Vedas)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The mantra’s power lies in its Vedic centrality: Gāyatrī, especially with Oṃ, is upheld as the foremost spiritual instrument.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Within the Kāśī-khaṇḍa frame, the praise supports Kāśī’s identity as a city of mantra, Veda, and liberation.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Gāyatrī-japa with Praṇava (Oṃ) is endorsed as the supreme mantra practice.