Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 42

Devanagari script

वेदारंभे विसर्गे च विदध्यात्प्रणवं सदा । अफलोऽनोंकृतो यस्मात्पठितोपि न सिद्धये

Transliteration

vedāraṃbhe visarge ca vidadhyātpraṇavaṃ sadā | aphalo'noṃkṛto yasmātpaṭhitopi na siddhaye

Translation

在诵读吠陀之初与终了之时，应当恒常安置并诵出圣音“普拉纳瓦”(Oṃ)。因为若不发“Oṃ”，即使读诵了，经文也无果，不能成就。

Word by Word

• वेदारम्भे: at the beginning of the Veda (recitation)
• वेदारम्भे: Adhikarana (Time/Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेद + आरम्भ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (वेदस्य आरम्भः)

• विसर्गे: at the end/at dismissal (visarga)
• विसर्गे: Adhikarana (Time/Context/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विसर्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Discourse particle (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक

• विदध्यात्: should utter/perform
• विदध्यात्: Pradhana-kriya (Main action/प्रधानक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + धा (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्-लकार (optative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• प्रणवम्: the praṇava (Oṃ)
• प्रणवम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रणव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• सदा: always
• सदा: Kriya-visheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (always)

• अफलः: fruitless
• अफलः: Predicate complement (विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ + फल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; नञ्-समास/उपसर्गार्थ (fruitless)

• अनॊंकृतः: not preceded by Oṃ / without ‘oṃ’-utterance
• अनॊंकृतः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन् + ओंकार + कृ (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (ओंकारेण न कृतः/न कृत-ओंकारः)

• यस्मात्: because
• यस्मात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; हेत्वर्थे पञ्चमी-रूप (because/from which reason)

• पठितः: (even if) recited
• पठितः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पठ् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; ‘having been recited/recited’

• अपि: even
• अपि: Discourse particle (सम्भावना/अपि)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अपि-कार (even/also)

• न: not
• न: Negation particle (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध (negation)

• सिद्धये: for success/attainment
• सिद्धये: Sampradana (Purpose/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सिद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa context, typically Skanda instructing Agastya)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kāśī

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A student begins Vedic chanting with Oṃ at sunrise on a Kāśī ghat; the syllable Oṃ is visualized as a luminous glyph above the river, while the teacher signals the conclusion with Oṃ at the end.

Characters & Entities

• Praṇava
• Oṃ
• Veda

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Mantra practice is not merely textual; correct sacred framing with Oṃ is essential for spiritual efficacy.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

Kāśī is the contextual sacred landscape of the Kāśīkhaṇḍa, though this verse focuses on Vedic method.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Always utter Oṃ (Praṇava) at the beginning and end of Vedic recitation; otherwise the recitation is said to be fruitless.