Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

यथावर्णमनुध्यानैर्मुनिबीजसमन्वितैः । विनियोगेन सहितैश्छन्दोभिः समलंकृतैः

Transliteration

yathāvarṇamanudhyānairmunibījasamanvitaiḥ | viniyogena sahitaiśchandobhiḥ samalaṃkṛtaiḥ

Translation

Mit Betrachtungen, die jeder Silbe entsprechen, versehen mit ṛṣi und bīja, verbunden mit dem festgelegten viniyoga und geschmückt mit den passenden Metren (chandas)—so ist das Mantra anzuwenden.

Word by Word

• यथा-वर्णम्: according to the letters
• यथा-वर्णम्: Prakara (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय) + वर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; अव्यय (adverbial)

• अनुध्यानैः: by meditations/visualizations
• अनुध्यानैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनु-ध्यान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), बहुवचन

• मुनिबीजसमन्वितैः: endowed with sage-seeds (ṛṣi-bīja)
• मुनिबीजसमन्वितैः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मुनि-बीज-समन्वित (प्रातिपदिक; मुनि + बीज + समन्वित)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास; विशेषण (qualifying ‘anudhyānaiḥ’/ritual elements)

• विनियोगेन: by (proper) application/assignment
• विनियोगेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विनियोग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन

• सहितैः: accompanied, together with
• सहितैः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √सह्/सह (धातु/प्रातिपदिक) + क्त (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participial adjective ‘accompanied’); पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• छन्दोभिः: by metres (chandas)
• छन्दोभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: छन्दस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), बहुवचन

• समलंकृतैः: well-adorned
• समलंकृतैः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-√अलङ्कृ (धातु; अलङ्कृ ‘to adorn’, उपसर्ग: सम्) + क्त (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), बहुवचन; विशेषण

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A manuscript-like tableau: a teacher points to a palm-leaf text listing ṛṣi, bīja, chandas, viniyoga; above, a mantra appears as twelve syllables, each with a corresponding visualization (color/lotus/petal).

Characters & Entities

• Ṛṣi (muni)
• Bīja
• Chandas
• Viniyoga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Mantra is not mere sound; it is a complete sacred method—joined with intention, metre, lineage (ṛṣi), and contemplative meaning.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific site is named; the verse supplies the orthodox framework for mantra-use within tīrtha-centered dharma.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Use of mantra with varṇa-dhyāna, ṛṣi/bīja attribution, viniyoga statement, and chandas—i.e., full mantra-vidhi.