Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 28

Devanagari script

शब्दब्रह्मसमुद्भूतो वेदेन द्वादशाक्षरः । ध्यानेन सर्वमाप्नोति ध्यानेनाप्नोति शुद्धताम्

Transliteration

śabdabrahmasamudbhūto vedena dvādaśākṣaraḥ | dhyānena sarvamāpnoti dhyānenāpnoti śuddhatām

Translation

المانترا ذاتُ الاثني عشر مقطعًا، المنبثقة من شَبْدا-برهمان (Śabda-Brahman) والمرتكزة على الفيدا—بالتأمّل ينال المرء كلَّ شيء؛ وبالتأمّل ينال الطهارة.

Word by Word

• शब्दब्रह्मसमुद्भूतः: arisen from the sound-Brahman
• शब्दब्रह्मसमुद्भूतः: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शब्द (प्रातिपदिक) + ब्रह्म (प्रातिपदिक) + समुद्भूत (कृदन्त; √भू (धातु) + सम्+उद् उपसर्ग; ‘arisen from’)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (past participle) विशेषण

• वेदेन: by the Veda
• वेदेन: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: veda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• द्वादशाक्षरः: twelve-syllabled
• द्वादशाक्षरः: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वादश (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + अक्षर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण

• ध्यानेन: by meditation
• ध्यानेन: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dhyāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• सर्वम्: everything
• सर्वम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; सर्वनामसदृश (pronominal adjective used substantively)

• आप्नोति: attains
• आप्नोति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √आप् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• ध्यानेन: by meditation
• ध्यानेन: Karana (Instrument/Means/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dhyāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• आप्नोति: attains
• आप्नोति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √आप् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• शुद्धताम्: purity
• शुद्धताम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śuddhatā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A seated sādhaka on a riverbank tīrtha, rosary in hand, a subtle stream of syllables rising as luminous sound (śabda) that condenses into a twelve-syllabled mantra; the atmosphere is calm, Vedic palm-leaves nearby.

Characters & Entities

• Śabda-Brahman
• Veda
• Dvādaśākṣara
• Dhyāna

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Mantra is rooted in Vedic sound-principle, and meditation is the decisive means for both spiritual attainment and inner purity.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse emphasizes universal spiritual method rather than a named geography; it complements tīrtha-māhātmya by teaching the inner source of merit.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Dhyāna (meditation) upon the dvādaśākṣara as a Veda-grounded mantra, aimed at śuddhi (purification) and siddhi (attainment).