Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

दक्षिणामूर्तिमासाद्य मन्त्रं तस्य षडक्षरम् । यो जपेच्छ्रद्धयोपेतस्तस्यायुः संप्रवर्धते

Transliteration

dakṣiṇāmūrtimāsādya mantraṃ tasya ṣaḍakṣaram | yo japecchraddhayopetastasyāyuḥ saṃpravardhate

Translation

En s’approchant de Dakṣiṇāmūrti et en récitant avec foi son mantra de six syllabes, la durée de vie d’un homme s’accroît grandement.

Word by Word

• dakṣiṇāmūrtim: Dakṣiṇāmūrti
• dakṣiṇāmūrtim: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dakṣiṇāmūrti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• āsādya: having approached
• āsādya: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ā-√sad (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund/absolutive): 'having approached'

• mantram: mantra
• mantram: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mantra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• tasya: of him/of that
• tasya: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन (Singular)

• ṣaḍ-akṣaram: six-syllabled
• ṣaḍ-akṣaram: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ṣaṭ (संख्या) + akṣara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण (qualifying mantram)

• yaḥ: who
• yaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• japet: should recite
• japet: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: jap (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

• śraddhayā: with faith
• śraddhayā: Karaṇa (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śraddhā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन (Singular)

• upetaḥ: endowed (with)
• upetaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: upa-√i (धातु) + kta (क्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); विशेषण (qualifying yaḥ)

• tasya: of him
• tasya: Sambandha (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन (Singular)

• āyuḥ: lifespan
• āyuḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: āyus (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• saṃpravardhate: increases greatly
• saṃpravardhate: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: saṃ-pra-√vṛdh (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular)

Speaker

Sūta (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Dakṣiṇāmūrti-sthāna (within the described tīrtha)

Type: temple

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: Ṛṣayaḥ

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Dakṣiṇāmūrti seated in teaching posture beneath a sacred tree, facing south; a devotee approaches and begins ṣaḍakṣara-japa with a mālā; a subtle aura suggests strengthening of life-force.

Characters & Entities

• Dakṣiṇāmūrti
• Śiva (implied)
• Ṣaḍakṣara-mantra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Faithful mantra-japa, especially in the presence of the divine Guru-form of Śiva, is said to sustain and extend life.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The kṣetra of this adhyāya where Dakṣiṇāmūrti is approached in connection with Siddheśvara/Hāṭakeśvara sanctity.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Japa of a ṣaḍakṣara (six-syllable) mantra after approaching Dakṣiṇāmūrti, performed with śraddhā.