Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 177

Devanagari script

मंतव्यमथ बोद्धव्यं सप्तैताः समिधो मम । हुतं नारायणध्यानाद्भुंक्ते नारायणः स्वयम्

Transliteration

maṃtavyamatha boddhavyaṃ saptaitāḥ samidho mama | hutaṃ nārāyaṇadhyānādbhuṃkte nārāyaṇaḥ svayam

Translation

هذا مما ينبغي تأمّله وفهمه حقّ الفهم: هذه السبعة هي حطبُ قرابيني (السَّمِد). وما يُقدَّم بتأمّل نارايانا—فإنّ نارايانا نفسه يتناول تلك القرابين.

Word by Word

• mantavyam: should be contemplated
• mantavyam: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: man (धातु) + tavya (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: तव्यत्-कृदन्त (gerundive/obligative), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; भावे/कर्तरि प्रयोगे ‘to be thought/should be considered’

• atha: then
• atha: Sambandha (discourse marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: अनन्तरार्थक-अव्यय (particle: then/now)

• boddhavyam: should be understood
• boddhavyam: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: budh (धातु) + tavya (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: तव्यत्-कृदन्त (gerundive/obligative), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘to be known/should be understood’

• sapta: seven
• sapta: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sapta (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: संख्याविशेषण, (एताः इति सर्वनामस्य विशेषणम्)

• etāḥ: these
• etāḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• samidhaḥ: fuel-sticks (for sacrifice)
• samidhaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: samidh (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• mama: of me, my
• mama: Shashthi-sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• hutam: offered (as oblation)
• hutam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: hu (धातु) + ta (क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘offered/oblation offered’

• nārāyaṇa-dhyānāt: from (the) meditation on Nārāyaṇa
• nārāyaṇa-dhyānāt: Hetu/Apadana (Cause/Ablative source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nārāyaṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + dhyāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (नारायणस्य ध्यानम्), नपुंसकलिङ्ग; पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

• bhuṅkte: enjoys, consumes
• bhuṅkte: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhuj (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• nārāyaṇaḥ: Nārāyaṇa
• nārāyaṇaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nārāyaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• svayam: himself
• svayam: Sambandha (emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: svayam (अव्यय)
• Form: स्वार्थक-अव्यय (indeclinable: self/oneself)

Speaker

A spiritually realized son (speaker not named in the snippet; Kaumārikākhaṇḍa narrative context)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: An inner altar within the heart-lotus where seven samidh-like rays feed a flame; above, Nārāyaṇa appears as the subtle enjoyer of the offering, serene and all-pervading.

Characters & Entities

• Nārāyaṇa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Meditation is portrayed as a true sacrifice: offerings made in Nārāyaṇa-dhyāna reach the Divine directly.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is mentioned; the verse emphasizes inner worship through dhyāna.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Nārāyaṇa-dhyāna (meditation on Nārāyaṇa) is prescribed as the means of ‘offering’ in an inner yajña.