Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 39

Devanagari script

क्रियापतिर्विष्णुरेव स्वयमेव हि निष्क्रि यः । स च प्राणविरूपाय द्वादशाक्षरवीजकः

Transliteration

kriyāpatirviṣṇureva svayameva hi niṣkri yaḥ | sa ca prāṇavirūpāya dvādaśākṣaravījakaḥ

Translation

Viṣṇu seul est le Seigneur des rites sacrés, et pourtant Lui-même est sans action. Et pour l’épanouissement du prāṇa, Il est présent comme mantra-graine dans la formule aux douze syllabes.

Word by Word

• क्रियापतिः: lord of action
• क्रियापतिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्रिया + पति (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular); समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (kriyāyāḥ patiḥ)

• विष्णुः: Viṣṇu
• विष्णुः: Karta (Apposition/समनाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

• एव: alone; indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-निपात (restrictive particle)

• स्वयम्: by himself
• स्वयम्: Sambandha (Emphasis/स्वार्थ)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वयम् (अव्यय)
• Form: स्वार्थक-अव्यय (reflexive adverb)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-निपात (restrictive particle)

• हि: for; indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• निष्क्रियः: inactive; actionless
• निष्क्रियः: Karta (Predicate complement/विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निष् + क्रिय (प्रातिपदिक; उपसर्ग/निषेध)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (Masculine, Nom, Singular; adjective)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (Masculine, Nominative, Singular; pronoun)

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

• प्राणविरूपाय: for (the one) of distorted/altered prāṇa
• प्राणविरूपाय: Sampradāna (Purpose/Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राण + विरूप (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4), एकवचन (Masculine, Dative, Singular); समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (prāṇasya virūpaḥ)

• द्वादशाक्षरवीजकः: the twelve-syllabled seed(-mantra)
• द्वादशाक्षरवीजकः: Karta (Predicate nominal/विधेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वादश + अक्षर + बीजक (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular); द्विगु-समासः—‘द्वादशानि अक्षराणि’ इति; तत्पुरुषान्तः ‘अक्षर-बीजक’ (seed-mantra of twelve syllables)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from same Adhyāya passage; continuity into v.41)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Viṣṇu depicted serene and still (niṣkriya) above a ritual scene; below, a sādhaka performs japa with breath visualized as luminous currents forming a twelve-spoked mantra-wheel.

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Prāṇa
• Dvādaśākṣara (twelve-syllable mantra)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The Supreme can be beyond action, yet graciously becomes accessible through mantra as the power behind ritual and inner life.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse belongs to a Tīrthamāhātmya setting, but no single named tirtha appears in this line itself.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It highlights the dvādaśākṣara-bīja (twelve-syllable mantra) as a core practice connected with prāṇa and worship.