Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 34

Devanagari script

वशीकरणहेतोर्यः कूष्मांडीः प्रजपेन्नरः । शत्रवोऽपि वशे तस्य किं पुनः प्रमदादयः

Transliteration

vaśīkaraṇahetoryaḥ kūṣmāṃḍīḥ prajapennaraḥ | śatravo'pi vaśe tasya kiṃ punaḥ pramadādayaḥ

Translation

L’homme qui répète le mantra Kūṣmāṇḍī pour attirer et soumettre—même ses ennemis passent sous son ascendant; combien plus encore les autres, telles les femmes et semblables.

Word by Word

• वशीकरण: of subjugation
• वशीकरण: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वशीकरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; समासपूर्वपद (in compound)

• हेतोः: for the sake/cause
• हेतोः: Sambandha (Genitive/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हेतु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; समासः: वशीकरणस्य हेतुः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

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

• कूष्मांडीः: Kūṣmāṇḍīs (mantras/names)
• कूष्मांडीः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कूष्माण्डी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), बहुवचन; मन्त्रनाम/देवीनाम (object of recitation)

• प्रजपेत्: should recite repeatedly
• प्रजपेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + जप् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• नरः: a man
• नरः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• शत्रवः: enemies
• शत्रवः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत्रु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• अपि: even
• अपि: Avyaya (Particle/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (निपात)
• Form: अव्यय; अप्यर्थक (also/even)

• वशे: in (his) control
• वशे: Adhikarana (Locus/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; अधिकरणे सप्तमी

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

• किम्: what (then)
• किम्: Avyaya (Particle/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः; प्रश्न/आश्चर्यार्थक (interrogative particle)

• पुनः: then/moreover
• पुनः: Avyaya (Adverbial/अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; पुनरुक्ति/अधिक्यार्थक (further/more so)

• प्रमद: women
• प्रमद: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रमदा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; समासपूर्वपद (in compound)

• आदयः: and others
• आदयः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; 'आदि' (etc.)—समासान्त/समाहारसूचक; समासः: प्रमदाः + आदयः (प्रमदादयः = women and others)

Speaker

Sūta

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A practitioner chants the Kūṣmāṇḍī mantra; hostile figures bow or soften, while townsfolk approach with respect—depicting influence as social harmonization rather than coercion.

Characters & Entities

• Kūṣmāṇḍī

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It presents mantra-japa as a potent discipline whose efficacy is amplified in a praised tīrtha-setting, though it should be approached within dharma and self-restraint.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The broader adhyāya praises a tīrtha/pīṭha that grants mantra-success; this particular verse does not name the site explicitly.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Repetition (japa) of the Kūṣmāṇḍī mantra for vaśīkaraṇa (influence/attraction).