Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 34

Devanagari script

जजाप परमं ब्रह्म द्वादशाक्षरबीजकम् । पूर्वं ध्यानेन सर्वाणि वशीकृत्येन्द्रियाणि च

Transliteration

jajāpa paramaṃ brahma dvādaśākṣarabījakam | pūrvaṃ dhyānena sarvāṇi vaśīkṛtyendriyāṇi ca

Translation

Il récita en japa le Brahman suprême, le mantra-graine de douze syllabes. D’abord, par la méditation, il mit sous sa maîtrise tous les sens.

Word by Word

• जजाप: he recited
• जजाप: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जप् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• परमम्: supreme
• परमम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन; विशेषणम्

• ब्रह्म: Brahman; sacred formula
• ब्रह्म: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन

• द्वादशाक्षरबीजकम्: having a twelve-syllabled seed (mantra)
• द्वादशाक्षरबीजकम्: Karma (Object qualifier/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वादश + अक्षर + बीजक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन; विशेषणम्; समासः (द्वादश-अक्षरं यस्य तत् बीजकम्)

• पूर्वम्: first
• पूर्वम्: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण-काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूर्वम् (अव्यय/नपुंसक-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रमवाचक-अव्यय (first, beforehand)

• ध्यानेन: by meditation
• ध्यानेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ध्यान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), एकवचन

• सर्वाणि: all
• सर्वाणि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), बहुवचन; विशेषणम्

• वशीकृत्य: having brought under control
• वशीकृत्य: Purvakala-kriya (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वशी + कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त (absolutive/gerund) from causative/denominative sense वशीकृ (to bring under control): having subdued

• इन्द्रियाणि: the senses
• इन्द्रियाणि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इन्द्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), बहुवचन

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

Speaker

Narrator

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: An ascetic seated in padmāsana near a sacred spot, eyes half-closed, rosary in hand; subtle aura indicating mantra-japa; senses symbolically subdued (deer, birds, wind quieted).

Characters & Entities

• Brahman

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Mantra-japa becomes truly fruitful when preceded by meditation and mastery of the senses.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The practice is narrated in the context of the holy āśrama at Mount Krauñca (from the immediately preceding verse).

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Japa of a dvādaśākṣara (twelve-syllabled) bīja/mantra, preceded by dhyāna and indriya-nigraha (sense-control).