Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

यदि वाग्यमलोपः स्याज्जपादिषु कथंचन । व्याहरेद्वैष्णवं मंत्रं स्मरेद्वा विष्णुमव्ययम्

Transliteration

yadi vāgyamalopaḥ syājjapādiṣu kathaṃcana | vyāharedvaiṣṇavaṃ maṃtraṃ smaredvā viṣṇumavyayam

Translation

若在持诵（japa）及相关戒行中，因故失却语业的约束，应诵出一则毗湿奴派（Vaiṣṇava）圣咒；或当忆念毗湿奴——不坏不变之主。

Word by Word

• यदि: if
• यदि: Sambandha (Condition)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्त-अव्यय (conditional particle)

• वाक्: speech
• वाक्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाच् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• यम: restraint (control)
• यम: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (वाग्-यम = वाणी-निग्रहः)

• लोपः: loss/omission
• लोपः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• स्यात्: should be / were to occur
• स्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• जपादिषु: in japa and the like
• जपादिषु: Adhikarana (Locative/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जप (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; अव्ययीभाव (जप-आदि = 'japa etc.')

• कथंचन: somehow/at all
• कथंचन: Sambandha (Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथंचन (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (indefinite adverb)

• व्याहरेत्: should utter
• व्याहरेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-आ-हृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• वैष्णवम्: Vaiṣṇava (pertaining to Viṣṇu)
• वैष्णवम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वैष्णव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (मन्त्रं विशेषयति)

• मन्त्रम्: mantra
• मन्त्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• स्मरेत्: should remember
• स्मरेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Alternative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्प-अव्यय (disjunctive particle)

• विष्णुम्: Viṣṇu
• विष्णुम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अव्ययम्: imperishable
• अव्ययम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अव्यय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (विष्णुम् विशेषयति)

Speaker

Unknown (Prabhāsakṣetramāhātmya narration; expiation/remedy within ācāra)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee seated in japa breaks silence, then immediately folds hands and inwardly remembers Viṣṇu; a subtle vision of Viṣṇu (as imperishable light) appears above, calming the scene and re-centering the practice.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

When discipline slips, immediate God-remembrance restores the mind to sacred focus.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is embedded in the Prabhāsa Kṣetra māhātmya section.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

If mauna is broken during japa, recite a Vaiṣṇava mantra or mentally remember Viṣṇu as a corrective act.