Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

यकारस्य महाबीजं पिंगवर्णश्च खेचरी । भूचरी च महासिद्धिः सर्वदा भूविचिन्तनम्

Transliteration

yakārasya mahābījaṃ piṃgavarṇaśca khecarī | bhūcarī ca mahāsiddhiḥ sarvadā bhūvicintanam

Translation

Für die Silbe „ya“ gibt es einen großen Samen (Mahā-bīja): von fahlgelber Farbe und im Himmel wandelnd, als Khecarī. Auch auf der Erde sich bewegend, ist es eine große Siddhi—stets verbunden mit der Betrachtung der Welt und der Erdebene.

Word by Word

• यकारस्य: of the syllable ‘ya’
• यकारस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यकार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन

• महाबीजम्: great seed (mantric seed)
• महाबीजम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + बीज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘महच्च तत् बीजम्’

• पिङ्गवर्णः: tawny-colored
• पिङ्गवर्णः: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पिङ्ग + वर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक अव्यय (conjunction)

• खेचरी: Khecarī (a yogic power/śakti)
• खेचरी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: खेचरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• भूचरी: Bhūcarī (a yogic power/śakti)
• भूचरी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूचरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक (conjunction)

• महासिद्धिः: great accomplishment, great siddhi
• महासिद्धिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + सिद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘महती सिद्धिः’

• सर्वदा: always
• सर्वदा: Kriyavisheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्वदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of time)

• भूविचिन्तनम्: contemplation on the earth/ground (bhū)
• भूविचिन्तनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भू + विचिन्तन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘भूः विषये विचिन्तनम्’

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A tawny-golden bīja ‘ya’ hovers between earth and sky; a yogin appears simultaneously walking a pilgrimage path (bhūcarī) and soaring in subtle form (khecarī); the landscape below is contemplated like a mandala-map of the world.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Higher attainments (siddhi) are linked to sustained contemplation; mantra-power is paired with disciplined awareness (vicintana).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No particular tīrtha is named in this verse; it is part of the chapter’s esoteric mapping of seed-syllables.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It identifies the yakāra’s mahābīja and characterizes its siddhi as khecarī/bhūcarī, emphasizing continual bhūvicintana (contemplative practice).