Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

यकारस्य महाबीजं पिंगवर्णश्च खेचरी । भूचरी च महासिद्धिः सर्वदा भूविचिन्तनम्

Transliteration

yakārasya mahābījaṃ piṃgavarṇaśca khecarī | bhūcarī ca mahāsiddhiḥ sarvadā bhūvicintanam

Translation

‘യ’ അക്ഷരത്തിന്റെ മഹാബീജം പിംഗവർണ്ണമുള്ളതും ഖേചരീഗതിയുള്ളതുമാണ്. ഭൂചരിയായിട്ടും അത് മഹാസിദ്ധി—എപ്പോഴും ഭൂതലം/പൃഥ്വീതത്ത്വചിന്തനം ഉണർത്തുന്നു.

Word by Word

• यकारस्य: of the syllable ‘ya’
• यकारस्य: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यकार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन

• महाबीजम्: great seed (mantric seed)
• महाबीजम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + बीज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘महच्च तत् बीजम्’

• पिङ्गवर्णः: tawny-colored
• पिङ्गवर्णः: Visheshana (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पिङ्ग + वर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक अव्यय (conjunction)

• खेचरी: Khecarī (a yogic power/śakti)
• खेचरी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: खेचरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• भूचरी: Bhūcarī (a yogic power/śakti)
• भूचरी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूचरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयार्थक (conjunction)

• महासिद्धिः: great accomplishment, great siddhi
• महासिद्धिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + सिद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘महती सिद्धिः’

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

• भूविचिन्तनम्: contemplation on the earth/ground (bhū)
• भूविचिन्तनम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भू + विचिन्तन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘भूः विषये विचिन्तनम्’

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A tawny-golden bīja ‘ya’ hovers between earth and sky; a yogin appears simultaneously walking a pilgrimage path (bhūcarī) and soaring in subtle form (khecarī); the landscape below is contemplated like a mandala-map of the world.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Higher attainments (siddhi) are linked to sustained contemplation; mantra-power is paired with disciplined awareness (vicintana).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No particular tīrtha is named in this verse; it is part of the chapter’s esoteric mapping of seed-syllables.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

It identifies the yakāra’s mahābīja and characterizes its siddhi as khecarī/bhūcarī, emphasizing continual bhūvicintana (contemplative practice).