Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 40

Devanagari script

द्वादशाक्षरकं चक्रं सर्वपापनिबर्हणम् । दुष्टानां दमनं चैव परब्रह्मप्रदायकम्

Transliteration

dvādaśākṣarakaṃ cakraṃ sarvapāpanibarhaṇam | duṣṭānāṃ damanaṃ caiva parabrahmapradāyakam

Translation

દ્વાદશાક્ષરનું આ ચક્ર સર્વ પાપોનો નાશ કરનારું છે; તે દુષ્ટોનું દમન કરે છે અને પરબ્રહ્મનું દાન આપે છે.

Word by Word

• द्वादशाक्षरकम्: twelve-syllabled
• द्वादशाक्षरकम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वादश + अक्षरक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular; adjective)

• चक्रम्: wheel; discus (cakra)
• चक्रम्: Karma/Pradhāna (Object/Topic)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चक्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन (Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular)

• सर्वपापनिबर्हणम्: destroyer of all sins
• सर्वपापनिबर्हणम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व + पाप + निबर्हण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular; adjective)

• दुष्टानाम्: of the wicked
• दुष्टानाम्: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुष्ट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), बहुवचन (Masculine, Genitive, Plural)

• दमनम्: subduing; suppression
• दमनम्: Karma/Pradhāna (Object/Topic)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दमन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन (Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction/particle)

• एव: indeed; just
• एव: Avadhāraṇa (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-निपात (emphatic particle)

• परब्रह्मप्रदायकम्: bestower of the Supreme Brahman
• परब्रह्मप्रदायकम्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर + ब्रह्मन् + प्रदायक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (Neuter, Nom/Acc, Singular; adjective)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced from Adhyāya continuity)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A radiant twelve-spoked mantra-wheel encircles the sādhaka; dark forms symbolizing pāpa and duṣṭa tendencies are pushed back; above shines a formless Brahman-light.

Characters & Entities

• Dvādaśākṣara (twelve-syllable mantra)
• Para Brahman

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Mantra is portrayed as both purifying (destroying sin) and liberating (granting realization of the Supreme).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The shloka praises the mantra’s greatness within a tīrtha narrative frame, but does not name a particular site.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Implicitly recommends mantra-japa/meditation on the dvādaśākṣara ‘cakra’ as a sin-destroying, liberation-giving practice.