Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

वाकारो निर्मलो नित्यं यजमानस्तु बीजभृत् । प्रचेताश्रियमाश्रेयं मोक्षे मोक्षप्रदायकम्

Transliteration

vākāro nirmalo nityaṃ yajamānastu bījabhṛt | pracetāśriyamāśreyaṃ mokṣe mokṣapradāyakam

Translation

‘വാ’ അക്ഷരം നിത്യ നിർമലം; യജമാനൻ അതിനെ ബീജമായി ധരിക്കുന്നു. പ്രചേതസ്സുകളുടെ ശ്രീയെ ആശ്രയിച്ച്, മോക്ഷസന്ദർഭത്തിൽ ഇത് മോക്ഷപ്രദായകമാകുന്നു.

Word by Word

• वाकारः: the syllable/letter ‘va’
• वाकारः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाकार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• निर्मलः: pure, spotless
• निर्मलः: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर्मल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (adjective) वाकारस्य

• नित्यम्: always
• नित्यम्: Kriyavisheshana (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of time)

• यजमानः: the sacrificer, worshipper
• यजमानः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यजमान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तु: indeed, but
• तु: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधान/विरोधार्थक निपात (particle: ‘but/indeed’)

• बीजभृत्: seed-bearer; bearer of the seed
• बीजभृत्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बीज + भृत् (धातु √भृ ‘धारण’ + कृत्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कृत्प्रत्ययान्त (भृत्-प्रत्यय), ‘बीजं बिभर्ति’ इति

• प्रचेताः: Pracetas (a name/title)
• प्रचेताः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रचेतस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (प्रचेताः = प्रचेतास्-प्रातिपदिकस्य प्रथमा-एकवचनरूपम्)

• श्रियम्: prosperity, auspicious fortune
• श्रियम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन

• आश्रेयम्: worthy of resort; to be taken as refuge
• आश्रेयम्: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आश्रेय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifier)

• मोक्षे: in liberation
• मोक्षे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मोक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

• मोक्षप्रदायकम्: granting liberation
• मोक्षप्रदायकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मोक्ष + प्रदायक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (of an implied object/thing), ‘मोक्षं प्रददाति’

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A yajamāna holds a luminous seed-syllable ‘vā’ at the heart; a serene oceanic motif hints at Pracetas (Varuṇa-associated) prosperity; the scene resolves into a doorway of light symbolizing mokṣa.

Characters & Entities

• Pracetas

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Ritual identity (yajamāna) is elevated when oriented to liberation; the same sacred seed can be turned from worldly gain toward mokṣa.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

This verse does not specify a named tīrtha; it continues the chapter’s mantra-bīja exposition within a tīrtha-māhātmya frame.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

The yajamāna is described as bearing the bīja; by resorting to Pracetas’ śrī and applying it for mokṣa, it grants liberation.