Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 27

Devanagari script

मंत्राराध्या मन्त्रबीजं विश्वबीजलयस्थितिः । यज्ञादिफलदात्री च स्वाहारूपेण सर्वदा

Transliteration

maṃtrārādhyā mantrabījaṃ viśvabījalayasthitiḥ | yajñādiphaladātrī ca svāhārūpeṇa sarvadā

Translation

Du wirst durch Mantras verehrt; du bist der Same des Mantras selbst. Du bist der Same der Welt — ihr Fortbestand und ihr Aufgehen. In der Gestalt von Svāhā verleihst du stets die Früchte der Opfer und anderer Riten.

Word by Word

• mantra-ārādhyā: to be worshipped by mantras
• mantra-ārādhyā: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mantra (प्रातिपदिक) + ā-√rādh (राध् धातु) (कृदन्त: यत्/ण्यत्)
• Form: उपपद-तत्पुरुष; कृदन्त (आराध्य = to be worshipped); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; विशेषण (feminine nominative singular)

• mantra-bījam: the seed of mantras
• mantra-bījam: Pradhāna-nāma (Predicate nominative/विशेष्य-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mantra (प्रातिपदिक) + bīja (बीज प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन (neuter nominative/accusative singular; predicate)

• viśva-bīja-laya-sthitiḥ: dissolution and continuance of the seed of the universe
• viśva-bīja-laya-sthitiḥ: Pradhāna-nāma (Predicate nominative/विशेष्य-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viśva (प्रातिपदिक) + bīja (प्रातिपदिक) + laya (प्रातिपदिक) + sthiti (स्थिति प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (विश्व-बीज) + द्वन्द्व (लय+स्थिति) समाहार/युग्मार्थ + समाससमुच्चय; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन (feminine nominative singular; predicate)

• yajña-ādi-phala-dātrī: giver of the fruits of sacrifices etc.
• yajña-ādi-phala-dātrī: Pradhāna-nāma (Predicate nominative/विशेष्य-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yajña (प्रातिपदिक) + ādi (आदि अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + phala (फल प्रातिपदिक) + √dā (दा धातु) (कृदन्त: तृन्/तृ)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (यज्ञादि) + तत्पुरुष (…-फल) + तृन्-कृदन्त (दात्री); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन (feminine nominative singular)

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (Connector/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक (indeclinable conjunction)

• svāhā-rūpeṇa: in the form of Svāhā
• svāhā-rūpeṇa: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: svāhā (स्वाहा प्रातिपदिक) + rūpa (रूप प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3), एकवचन (instrumental singular; in the form of Svāhā)

• sarvadā: always
• sarvadā: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Temporal/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sarvadā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (indeclinable adverb of time)

Speaker

Devas

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Devī as Svāhā stands near a sacred fire; mantras appear as luminous seed-syllables (bīja) around her; the cosmos cycles (creation-preservation-dissolution) in a halo behind.

Characters & Entities

• Devī
• Svāhā
• Yajña

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual power and spiritual results are rooted in Devī; mantra, sacrifice, and their fruits are effective through her presence as Svāhā.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is a universal theological praise within a tīrtha-māhātmya chapter; no particular site is named here.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Mantra-ārādhana (mantra worship) and yajña (sacrificial offerings) are referenced, with Devī identified as Svāhā within oblations.