Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 7

Devanagari script

पार्वत्युवाच । यदि सप्रणवं दद्याद्द्वादशाक्षरचिंतनम । प्रणवे नाधिकारो मे कथं भवति धूर्जटे

Transliteration

pārvatyuvāca | yadi sapraṇavaṃ dadyāddvādaśākṣaraciṃtanama | praṇave nādhikāro me kathaṃ bhavati dhūrjaṭe

Translation

قالت بارفَتِي: «إن كان تأمّلُ المانترا ذاتِ الاثني عشر مقطعًا يُعطى مع البرَنَفَة (أوم)، وأنا لا أستحقّ البرَنَفَة، فكيف يكون ذلك لي، يا دُهورجَطي؟»

Word by Word

• पार्वती: Pārvatī
• पार्वती: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pārvatī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• यदि: if
• यदि: Logical connector (Condition)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yadi (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्त-अव्यय (conditional conjunction)

• सप्रणवम्: together with praṇava (Oṃ)
• सप्रणवम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sa + praṇava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular); समासः—सह-तत्पुरुष (प्रणवेन सह)

• दद्यात्: should give
• दद्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• द्वादशाक्षरचिन्तनम्: contemplation of the twelve-syllable (mantra)
• द्वादशाक्षरचिन्तनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वादश + अक्षर + चिन्तन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular); समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (द्वादशानाम् अक्षराणां चिन्तनम्)

• प्रणवे: in/with regard to praṇava
• प्रणवे: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: praṇava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन (Singular)

• न: not
• न: Negation (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात (negation particle)

• अधिकारः: eligibility/authority
• अधिकारः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: adhikāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• मे: my/of me
• मे: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन (Singular)

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: Kriya-visheshaṇa (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: katham (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्न-अव्यय (interrogative adverb)

• भवति: becomes/is
• भवति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

• धूर्जटे: O Dhūrjaṭi (Śiva)
• धूर्जटे: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dhūrjaṭi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Pārvatī

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Īśvara (Śiva/Dhūrjaṭi)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Pārvatī, seated near Śiva (Dhūrjaṭi), asks with humility about the rule of prefixing praṇava to the twelve-syllable mantra, expressing concern about eligibility.

Characters & Entities

• Pārvatī
• Śiva (Dhūrjaṭi)
• Praṇava (Oṃ)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Spiritual practice invites clarification: one must reconcile general prescriptions with one’s authorized mode of practice.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is named; the focus is on mantra-vidhi within the māhātmya discourse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It discusses whether dvādaśākṣara contemplation should include praṇava, raising the issue of eligibility (adhikāra).