Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 17

Devanagari script

यो मे लिंगस्य याम्याशां स्थित्वा मंत्रं जपिष्यति । षडक्षरं प्रदास्यामि तस्यायुष्यं सुतान्वितम्

Transliteration

yo me liṃgasya yāmyāśāṃ sthitvā maṃtraṃ japiṣyati | ṣaḍakṣaraṃ pradāsyāmi tasyāyuṣyaṃ sutānvitam

Translation

Wer südlich meines Liṅga steht und das Mantra in Japa wiederholt, dem werde ich das sechssilbige Mantra verleihen und langes Leben samt Kindern gewähren.

Word by Word

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन — Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• मे: my
• मे: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6), एकवचन — Genitive, Singular (my)

• लिङ्गस्य: of the liṅga
• लिङ्गस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), एकवचन — Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• याम्याशाम्: the southern direction
• याम्याशाम्: Karma (Object of ‘standing’ as goal/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: याम्य (प्रातिपदिक) + आशा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन — Feminine, Accusative, Singular; समासः: याम्येति आशा (southern direction)

• स्थित्वा: having stood
• स्थित्वा: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund) — having stood

• मन्त्रम्: mantra
• मन्त्रम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन — Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• जपिष्यति: will recite/mutter
• जपिष्यति: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जप् (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (भविष्यत्काल), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद — Simple Future, 3rd person, Singular

• षडक्षरम्: the six-syllabled (mantra)
• षडक्षरम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: षट् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + अक्षर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन — Neuter, Accusative, Singular; द्विगु-समासः: षण्णाम् अक्षराणाम् समूहः (six-syllabled)

• प्रदास्यामि: I will give
• प्रदास्यामि: Kriyā (Predicate/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु) + प्र (उपसर्ग)
• Form: लृट् (भविष्यत्काल), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद — Simple Future, 1st person, Singular

• तस्य: of him/to him
• तस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6), एकवचन — Genitive, Singular (of him)

• आयुष्यम्: long life/longevity
• आयुष्यम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आयुष्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन — Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• सुतान्वितम्: accompanied by sons
• सुतान्वितम्: Karma-viśeṣaṇa (Object qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुत (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्वित (कृदन्त; अनु+इ धातु, क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन — Neuter, Accusative, Singular; समासः: सुतैः अन्वितम् (accompanied by sons)

Speaker

Mahādeva (Śiva)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Any practitioner/pilgrim

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A devotee stands to the south of the liṅga, counting japa on a mālā; the liṅga radiates; subtle glyph-like aura suggests mantra transmission; attendants keep lamps lit.

Characters & Entities

• Mahādeva (Śiva)
• Liṅga
• Ṣaḍakṣara-mantra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Disciplined mantra-japa performed according to tīrtha-specific injunctions is said to yield both worldly stability (life, family) and sacred empowerment (mantra-gift).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The Nāgarakhaṇḍa liṅga-tīrtha where directional worship (standing to the south) is prescribed.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Stand in the southern direction of the liṅga and perform mantra-japa; the ṣaḍakṣara-mantra is specifically highlighted.