Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 24

Devanagari script

यथावर्णमनुध्यानैर्मुनिबीजसमन्वितैः । विनियोगेन सहितैश्छन्दोभिः समलंकृतैः

Transliteration

yathāvarṇamanudhyānairmunibījasamanvitaiḥ | viniyogena sahitaiśchandobhiḥ samalaṃkṛtaiḥ

Translation

ഓരോ വർണ്ണത്തിനും അനുയോജ്യമായ ധ്യാനങ്ങളോടെ, ഋഷിയും ബീജവും ചേർന്നതായി, വിനിയോഗസഹിതം, യുക്തമായ ഛന്ദസ്സുകളാൽ അലങ്കരിക്കപ്പെട്ടതായി—ഇങ്ങനെ (മന്ത്രം പ്രയോഗിക്കണം).

Word by Word

• यथा-वर्णम्: according to the letters
• यथा-वर्णम्: Prakara (Manner/प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय) + वर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; अव्यय (adverbial)

• अनुध्यानैः: by meditations/visualizations
• अनुध्यानैः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनु-ध्यान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), बहुवचन

• मुनिबीजसमन्वितैः: endowed with sage-seeds (ṛṣi-bīja)
• मुनिबीजसमन्वितैः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मुनि-बीज-समन्वित (प्रातिपदिक; मुनि + बीज + समन्वित)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास; विशेषण (qualifying ‘anudhyānaiḥ’/ritual elements)

• विनियोगेन: by (proper) application/assignment
• विनियोगेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विनियोग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन

• सहितैः: accompanied, together with
• सहितैः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √सह्/सह (धातु/प्रातिपदिक) + क्त (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participial adjective ‘accompanied’); पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• छन्दोभिः: by metres (chandas)
• छन्दोभिः: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: छन्दस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), बहुवचन

• समलंकृतैः: well-adorned
• समलंकृतैः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-√अलङ्कृ (धातु; अलङ्कृ ‘to adorn’, उपसर्ग: सम्) + क्त (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), बहुवचन; विशेषण

Speaker

Skanda (deduced)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A manuscript-like tableau: a teacher points to a palm-leaf text listing ṛṣi, bīja, chandas, viniyoga; above, a mantra appears as twelve syllables, each with a corresponding visualization (color/lotus/petal).

Characters & Entities

• Ṛṣi (muni)
• Bīja
• Chandas
• Viniyoga

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Mantra is not mere sound; it is a complete sacred method—joined with intention, metre, lineage (ṛṣi), and contemplative meaning.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No specific site is named; the verse supplies the orthodox framework for mantra-use within tīrtha-centered dharma.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Use of mantra with varṇa-dhyāna, ṛṣi/bīja attribution, viniyoga statement, and chandas—i.e., full mantra-vidhi.