Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 37

Devanagari script

वामाद्या नव शक्तीश्च नवस्वरयुता यजेत् । हृदि बीजत्रयाद्येन पीठमंत्रेण चार्चयेत्

Transliteration

vāmādyā nava śaktīśca navasvarayutā yajet | hṛdi bījatrayādyena pīṭhamaṃtreṇa cārcayet

Translation

വാമാ മുതൽ ആരംഭിച്ച്, ഒൻപത് സ്വരങ്ങളോടുകൂടിയ ഒൻപത് ശക്തികളെ വിധിപൂർവ്വം പൂജിക്കണം. ഹൃദയസ്ഥാനത്ത് മൂന്ന് ബീജങ്ങളിൽ ആരംഭിക്കുന്ന പീഠമന്ത്രം കൊണ്ടും അർച്ചന ചെയ്യണം.

Word by Word

• वामा-आद्याः: beginning with Vāmā
• वामा-आद्याः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वामा (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (कर्ता/Nominative), बहुवचन; ‘वामाद्याः’ = beginning with Vāmā

• नव: nine
• नव: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नव (संख्या/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (कर्ता/Nominative), बहुवचन; संख्याविशेषणम्

• शक्तीः: powers/Śaktis
• शक्तीः: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म/Object), बहुवचन

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

• नव-स्वर-युताः: endowed with nine vowels
• नव-स्वर-युताः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नव (संख्या/प्रातिपदिक) + स्वर (प्रातिपदिक) + युत (कृदन्त; √युज्/यु धातु ‘युक्त’)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (कर्ता/Nominative), बहुवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त) ‘युत’ = endowed; ‘नवस्वरैः युताः’

• यजेत्: should worship
• यजेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: यज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

• हृदि: in the heart
• हृदि: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हृद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (अधिकरण/Locative), एकवचन

• बीज-त्रय-आद्येन: by that beginning with the three seed-syllables
• बीज-त्रय-आद्येन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बीज (प्रातिपदिक) + त्रय (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण/Instrumental), एकवचन; ‘बीजत्रयाद्येन’ = by (the mantra) beginning with the three seed-syllables

• पीठ-मन्त्रेण: with the pīṭha-mantra
• पीठ-मन्त्रेण: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पीठ (प्रातिपदिक) + मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण/Instrumental), एकवचन; ‘पीठस्य मन्त्रेण’

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

• अर्चयेत्: should worship
• अर्चयेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अर्च् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

Speaker

Narratorial/Instructional voice (mantra-śakti integration instruction)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: Nine radiant feminine Śaktis arranged around a lotus, each linked to a Sanskrit vowel glyph; at the center (heart-bindu) three seed-syllables blaze, with a pīṭha-mantra band encircling them like a protective ring.

Characters & Entities

• Vāmā
• Nine Śaktis
• Nine vowels
• Bīja-traya
• Pīṭha-mantra

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Mantra and Śakti are inseparable—sound (vowels/bījas) is used to awaken and honor divine powers within the worshipper’s heart.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific tīrtha is mentioned; this is a liturgical instruction for internal and diagrammatic worship.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Worship nine śaktis (starting with Vāmā) with nine vowels, and worship the heart-center using the pīṭha-mantra beginning with three seed syllables.