Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 5

Devanagari script

वैदिकं लौकिकं वापि जाप्यं जप्तं नरेश्वर । तत्क्षणाद्दहते सर्वं तृणं तु ज्वलनो यथा

Transliteration

vaidikaṃ laukikaṃ vāpi jāpyaṃ japtaṃ nareśvara | tatkṣaṇāddahate sarvaṃ tṛṇaṃ tu jvalano yathā

Translation

Hỡi bậc chúa của loài người, dù là japa theo Veda hay theo thế tục, một khi đã trì tụng thì liền thiêu đốt tất cả ngay tức khắc—như lửa đốt cỏ khô.

Word by Word

• वैदिकम्: Vedic
• वैदिकम्: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वैदिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• लौकिकम्: worldly/secular
• लौकिकम्: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लौकिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-अव्यय (disjunctive particle)

• अपि: also/even
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle/additive)

• जाप्यम्: to be recited (as japa)
• जाप्यम्: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जाप्य (प्रातिपदिक; √जप् (धातु) + ण्यत्/यत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; विधेय/योग्यतार्थक कृदन्त (fit to be muttered)

• जप्तम्: recited/muttered
• जप्तम्: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √जप् (धातु) + क्त (जप्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त

• नरेश्वर: O lord of men (king)
• नरेश्वर: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक) + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन

• तत्क्षणात्: from that very moment
• तत्क्षणात्: Apadana (Ablative/source/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + क्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

• दहते: burns up/destroys
• दहते: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √दह् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• सर्वम्: all (of it)
• सर्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• तृणम्: straw/grass
• तृणम्: Upamana (Standard of comparison/उपमान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तृण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• तु: indeed/and
• तु: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle)

• ज्वलनः: fire
• ज्वलनः: Upameya (Thing compared/उपमेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्वलन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• यथा: as/like
• यथा: Sambandha (Comparison marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमानवाचक-अव्यय (comparative particle)

Speaker

Mārkaṇḍeya

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) tīrtha

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Nareśvara / Pāṇḍava addressee

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee chanting with a small sacred fire (homa-agni) nearby; dry grass bundles symbolically ignite and vanish, representing sins consumed by japa.

Characters & Entities

• Nareśvara (King/listener)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sincere mantra-recitation is portrayed as immediately transformative, consuming impurity like fire consuming fuel.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The statement supports the mahatmya of the Bhīmeśvara-related tīrtha where such japa is recommended.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Japa (repetitive recitation) of mantras—Vedic or otherwise—is endorsed as a purificatory discipline.