Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 27

Devanagari script

मंत्राराध्या मन्त्रबीजं विश्वबीजलयस्थितिः । यज्ञादिफलदात्री च स्वाहारूपेण सर्वदा

Transliteration

maṃtrārādhyā mantrabījaṃ viśvabījalayasthitiḥ | yajñādiphaladātrī ca svāhārūpeṇa sarvadā

Translation

Tu es adorée par les mantras ; tu es la semence même du mantra. Tu es la semence du monde, sa continuité et sa résorption. Toujours, sous la forme de Svāhā, tu accordes les fruits des sacrifices et des autres rites.

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.