Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

सुकारं मुखजिह्वायां देकारः कर्णयोर्द्वयोः । वाकारश्चक्षुषोर्द्वन्द्वे यकारं मस्तके न्यसेत्

Transliteration

sukāraṃ mukhajihvāyāṃ dekāraḥ karṇayordvayoḥ | vākāraścakṣuṣordvandve yakāraṃ mastake nyaset

Translation

Man setze die Silbe „su“ auf Mund und Zunge; die Silbe „de“ auf beide Ohren; die Silbe „vā“ auf das Augenpaar; und die Silbe „ya“ auf den Kopf.

Word by Word

• सुकारम्: the syllable ‘su’
• सुकारम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सु-कार (प्रातिपदिक; सु + कार)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (अक्षर-नाम)

• मुखजिह्वायाम्: on the tongue in the mouth
• मुखजिह्वायाम्: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुख-जिह्वा (प्रातिपदिक; मुख + जिह्वा)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास

• देकारः: the syllable ‘de’
• देकारः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दे-कार (प्रातिपदिक; दे + कार)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (अक्षर-नाम)

• कर्णयोः: of the two ears
• कर्णयोः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), द्विवचन

• द्वयोः: of the two
• द्वयोः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वि (प्रातिपदिक; संख्या)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), द्विवचन; संख्यावाचक-विशेषण (qualifying ‘ears’)

• वाकारः: the syllable ‘vā’
• वाकारः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वा-कार (प्रातिपदिक; वा + कार)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (अक्षर-नाम)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-बोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• चक्षुषोः: of the two eyes
• चक्षुषोः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चक्षुस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), द्विवचन

• द्वन्द्वे: in the pair
• द्वन्द्वे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वन्द्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

• यकारम्: the syllable ‘ya’
• यकारम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: य-कार (प्रातिपदिक; य + कार)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (अक्षर-नाम)

• मस्तके: on the head
• मस्तके: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मस्तक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

• न्यसेत्: should place
• न्यसेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-√अस् (धातु; अस् ‘to place/throw’, उपसर्ग: नि)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A sādhaka with highlighted sensory points: glowing script on tongue/mouth, ears, eyes, and a radiant syllable at the crown; eyes depicted as luminous, suggesting purified perception during pilgrimage.

Characters & Entities

• Dvādaśākṣara (implied)
• Nyāsa

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Purification of perception and speech: the mantra sanctifies the senses so seeing, hearing, and speaking become devotional.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse itself does not name a site; it supports tīrtha-dharma by prescribing inner consecration alongside outer pilgrimage.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Nyāsa on sense-organs (tongue, ears, eyes) and the head as part of mantra installation.